A sudden surge of water, mud and rock swept through the Nepal-Tibet border region on Wednesday, killing at least 75 people and leaving hundreds unaccounted for as rescue operations continued on both sides of the Himalayas.
Nepalese authorities reported at least 72 deaths, while Chinese state media reported three deaths and 265 missing in Gyirong County, Tibet. Nepal also reported 384 missing travellers, including 291 foreign nationals. The figures remain provisional as search teams reach isolated areas.
The Bhotekoshi River flooded at about 9 a.m. local time, destroying villages, roads and hydropower infrastructure in Nepal. Officials warned people in several districts to keep away from the Bhotekoshi, Trishuli and Narayani rivers.
“We have asked both India and China to help us with the rescue efforts,” Sasmit Pokharel, a Nepal government spokesperson, told the Associated Press.
Early assessments point to an ice-and-rock avalanche, though the exact trigger has not been confirmed. Saswata Sanyal of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development said the Lhende Khola, a tributary of the Bhotekoshi, had flooded twice in 14 months.
“This time [it was] triggered by an ice rock avalanche from a glacier on the Nepal side that blocked the river and released a sudden surge downstream,” he said.
A magnitude-4.4 earthquake was recorded near the border earlier in the day, roughly 100 kilometres north of Kathmandu. Researchers and authorities are still examining whether it contributed to the avalanche.
The disaster also struck a major travel and trade route. Many of those missing were travelling toward Mount Kailash in Tibet, a sacred pilgrimage destination for Hindus. Nepal’s energy ministry said 430 megawatts of electricity supply more than 12% of the country’s 3.2-gigawatt hydropower capacity had been affected.
Rescue workers face blocked roads, deep sediment and the risk of another flood if an upstream blockage fails. The immediate priority is locating the missing and moving people from vulnerable riverbanks to safety.
