Trail of destruction: Hundreds remain missing after deadly Nepal flash floods

On Wednesday morning, a devastating flash flood swept through Timure and Syabrubesi in Rasuwa, Nepal, leaving at least 177 people dead and around 400 tourists missing. The floodwaters ravaged the villages, destroying markets, homes, infrastructure, roads, bridges, and hydropower projects. The Nepal Army, Police, and Armed Force were promptly deployed to initiate search and rescue operations.

Meanwhile, Nepal's Department of Hydrology and Meteorology ruled out heavy rainfall as the cause, instead attributing the disaster to a massive ice-rock avalanche triggered by an earthquake that had struck the area prior to the floods.

CCTV footage from the China-Nepal border revealed the full extent of the flood, as it engulfed Gyirong Port in Xizang, causing a powerful torrent of mud and floodwater to sweep through the crossing. Three individuals were confirmed dead on the Nepalese side, with 558 others still missing as of Thursday morning, and two villagers rescued.

Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered an all-out search and rescue effort, activating the country's second-highest emergency response level. Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing traveled to the affected area to oversee the response.

Over 1,000 rescue and engineering personnel were deployed to Nepal, along with 220 million yuan (US$32.7 million) and 30,000 relief items. In neighboring China, a landslide of mud and rock triggered a catastrophic flood in the Lhende River, sweeping away homes, roads, and infrastructure. The disaster claimed at least 98 lives, with hundreds still unaccounted for.