UPDATE: Flash flood on Nepal-Tibet border kills more than 100, with hundreds of tourists missing

NUWAKOT, Nepal: A devastating flood and landslide on the Nepal-Tibet border claimed at least 160 lives on Wednesday, leaving hundreds missing, including several hundred foreign tourists. Entire communities were obliterated by the force of the disaster. Surveillance footage confirmed by AFP depicted people fleeing in terror as a towering wall of debris crashed into the Chinese side of the border, scattering vehicles like toys.

Chinese state media reported that the mudslide caused three deaths and left 265 people unaccounted for. Nepalese authorities recovered 157 bodies, as they worked tirelessly to relocate families from flood-prone areas. Rescuers navigated through the mud and sludge to search for survivors, with multi-story buildings buried under the relentless torrent.

Approximately 403 tourists, comprising 341 foreigners, remained unaccounted for in the aftermath, including 142 from India, as well as citizens from Australia, Britain, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea, and the United States. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) dispatched emergency supplies, including blankets, first aid kits, stretchers, and body bags, to aid the victims.

Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah pledged a comprehensive response, assuring the nation that the state would support them in this trying time. However, locals were left traumatized, and experts warned of the possibility of another flood due to a blockage in a river upstream. The cause of the flooding remains uncertain, but Nepal's Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal suggested that an earthquake may have triggered a landslide, which then blocked a river, causing the catastrophic flood.

Nepalese authorities, including the Nepal Army, were swiftly mobilized to carry out rescue operations, while residents near the river were advised to evacuate to safer locations. Damage assessments revealed that around 430 megawatts of power generation capacity, comprising hydropower and solar facilities, had been destroyed, leading to disruptions in the electricity supply.

Experts warned that the region's vulnerability to such disasters is exacerbated by climate change, which is intensifying the frequency and severity of extreme weather events in South Asia.