Dozens dead in catastrophic Nepal-Tibet floods

Catastrophic flooding has struck the Nepal-Tibet border region, claiming the lives of dozens and leaving hundreds of tourists missing. On Wednesday, a wall of mud and rock collapsed into a river, triggering the disaster near the Himalayan border between Nepal and Tibet, about 65km north of Kathmandu. At least 95 people have been confirmed dead in Nepal, with authorities on both sides fearing far higher casualties.

Houses, roads, and power projects were destroyed in Nepal, while officials in Tibet expressed concern over major casualties, including missing people in the Gyirong county after a mudslide hit a border land crossing. Initial reports suggested that an earthquake might have triggered the avalanche, leading Nepali Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal to inform parliament of this possibility.

The South Korean news agency Yonhap reported that eight of its nationals are also unaccounted for in Nepal. Flood alerts have been issued in the northern Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, as several rivers flow down the mountains into their plains. The exact cause of the mudslide remains unclear, but the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) stated that there was a 4.4 magnitude earthquake approximately seven minutes before the security video timestamp.

An ice-rock avalanche in the Lhende Khola river on the Nepali side is suspected to be the trigger, but the cause remains unconfirmed. Rescue efforts are underway, with flood alerts issued in populous northern Indian states as they border Nepal. China's official news agency Xinhua reported that the mudslide occurred on the Nepali side and impacted the Gyirong port, disrupting roads, communications, and power links in the Shigatse region near the border.

President Xi Jinping has urged "all-out" search efforts and stronger monitoring and early warning systems to prevent further disasters.