Rescue crews scramble after Nepal-Tibet floods kills at least 160

Flash floods and landslides on the Nepal-Tibet border killed at least 160 people, with the death toll anticipated to rise, according to rescuers and officials. Many of the missing individuals were foreign tourists, including 403 in total, comprising 142 Indians, as well as citizens from Australia, Britain, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea, and the United States. Entire villages and market areas were completely destroyed by the disaster.

Surveillance video from the Chinese side of the border captured a wall of mud and debris collapsing onto a multi-story building, engulfing it as people ran for their lives. Chinese state media reported three fatalities and 265 missing people in a mudslide at a Tibet border hub, while Nepal's police recovered 157 bodies following the devastating floods.

Tibet's government mobilized 800 emergency workers and 150 vehicles, along with sniffer dogs and speedboats, to assist in rescue efforts. Rescuers waded through mud and sludge to search for survivors after floodwaters breached the lower floors of buildings. Nepal's International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies dispatched emergency supplies, such as blankets, first aid kits, stretchers, and body bags.

Local residents experienced trauma, with one 56-year-old man named Raju Bhadel recounting his family's ordeal. His brother remains missing, while three family members were rescued. The cause of the flooding is unclear, but Nepal's foreign minister Shishir Khanal suggested that an earthquake may have triggered a landslide, blocking a river and causing the surge of water downstream. Satellite data indicated that a snow-rock landslide on the Nepal-China border could be responsible for the flood.

The Nepali Army conducted flights and rescued scores of people, while those living near the river in danger zones were advised to relocate. A preliminary assessment by Sarthak Shrestha, a remote sensing analyst, showed no anomalies on China's side of the border, attributing the flooding to a rock-ice avalanche in Nepal. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that a mudslide disaster on the Nepali side resulted in major casualties and missing individuals at the Gyirong Port in Tibet. Chinese leader Xi Jinping emphasized the urgent need to search for and rescue the missing people.