Nepal: Mindestens zwanzig Todesopfer nach Sturzflut – Hunderte Einheimische und Touristen vermisst

Heavy flash floods in Nepal's mountainous region resulted in at least 22 deaths, according to official reports. Hundreds more people are still missing, with the casualty count likely to rise further. It will take some time before accurate data on missing persons and the extent of damage becomes available. Around 384 tourists, including over 290 foreigners mainly from Germany, the US, and Spain, are also missing, reported the national tourism organization Nepal Tourism Board to Deutsche Presse-Agentur in Kathmandu.

The majority of missing persons are believed to come from neighboring India. Entire villages have been washed away, while a border crossing between China and Nepal was hit by a mudslide. This led to disruptions in road traffic, electricity supply, and telecommunications. Entire villages and infrastructure like roads, bridges, and power plants have been severely damaged in the affected area on the Nepalese side.

The river Bhote Koshi's tributaries are home to tens of thousands of people. Residents of the riverbanks were warned to exercise extreme caution and move to safer higher grounds. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for all available resources to be used in the search for the missing. Nepal's Prime Minister, Balendra Shah, announced the deployment of the army and other security forces for rescue operations.

Authorities issued a disaster warning for downstream areas in the Himalayan state. The flash floods were not the first in the region; a flood in the same river last year claimed at least nine lives. The flooding was reportedly caused by an ice and rock avalanche from a glacier. In Tibet, a glacial lake outburst was cited as the trigger. More details to follow.