네팔 국경 지역 홍수, 380여명 실종…“폭우로 빙하호 범람한 듯”

Heavy rains triggered a devastating flood in Nepal's Himalayan mountain region bordering China, leaving at least 95 people dead and around 400 others missing, with 341 foreign nationals among the missing - nine of them from South Korea. According to reports from agencies like Reuters and Indian media, the flood occurred on the 26th, caused by a sudden downpour accompanied by landslides of ice and rocks in the northern Rasuwa district.

Social media videos showed the flood, resembling a mudslide, sweeping through the city, toppling buildings, vehicles, and even bridges. Local TV stations reported houses collapsing, cars plummeting, and railings being ripped away. Indian news outlet PTC News stated, "It appears the flood in Rasuwa region was caused not only by heavy rains, but also by a significant amount of snowmelt from Tibet, which caused a glacial stream to overflow and triggered this disaster."

Nepal's Foreign Ministry Secretary Sirish Kanan said an earthquake had struck around 8:37 am, causing a massive landslide and blocking rivers, which led to the flooding. According to the US Geological Survey, a magnitude 4.4 earthquake hit the region at that time. Nepal's Tourism Department announced 341 foreign tourists were missing, with tourists from India, Australia, Netherlands, the United States, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, and South Africa among them.

Nepal's government dispatched helicopters to rescue the isolated individuals, but due to the raging floodwaters, the rescue helicopters struggled to find landing spots. Nepal's military spokesperson Rajan Lama Basnet said "the rescue helicopters cannot land in the affected area until the water level recedes." China's Tibet Liuzhugou district also suffered heavy casualties and missing persons due to the flood, though the exact extent of the damage remains unclear due to disrupted roads and communication and power lines.

Nepal's International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) experts believe the recent melting of glaciers in the region, possibly caused by thermal conditions in Tibet, could have led to the avalanche and subsequent floods. Experts warn that the convergence of water from the Renuke Kora River, which experienced its heaviest flow on this day, led to the largest flood in the Rasuwa region.

The melting of glaciers in the Himalayan region, exacerbated by climate change, has led to more frequent heavy rains, floods, and landslides in the area. The International Climate Research Organizations report that glaciers in the Hindu Kush-Himalaya region are melting at a rapid pace, with a two-fold increase in glacial loss since 2000.