KATHMANDU — Rescue workers are racing to locate hundreds of people reported missing after devastating floods and landslides struck the Nepal-Tibet border, killing at least 165 people and wiping out parts of villages in the disaster zone.
The catastrophe unfolded Wednesday morning when enormous amounts of water and debris swept downstream on both sides of the border.
On the Nepalese side, the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers overflowed, sending floodwaters through settlements and leaving widespread destruction. Footage from China captured the force of the disaster, showing mud and water surging over a building while people scrambled to escape.
Authorities in Nepal reported 162 deaths, while Chinese officials confirmed three fatalities in Tibet and said 265 people were still missing.
The disaster has also raised concerns over the safety of foreign travelers. Nepalese officials said 468 tourists were unaccounted for, including 393 foreigners.
Those missing reportedly include nationals from India, Ukraine, Malaysia, the United Kingdom and South Africa. Australia separately said 34 of its citizens were missing, while 93 Nepalese nationals were also unaccounted for.
Relief efforts begin
International organizations and governments have begun sending financial and humanitarian assistance to affected communities.
The United States committed $500,000 in emergency assistance, while the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies made $1.4 million available for relief operations.
David Fisher, the Red Cross representative in Nepal, said the immediate focus was reaching communities isolated by the disaster and helping people who had lost their homes or sustained injuries.
The European Union deployed its Copernicus satellite monitoring service to aid rescue and recovery efforts. The World Health Organization sent emergency medical supplies, while India provided an initial 10 tonnes of humanitarian assistance.
Authorities revise explanation for disaster
The cause of the disaster initially remained uncertain.
Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal said shortly after the incident that an earthquake may have triggered a landslide, possibly blocking a river before sending a massive volume of water downstream.
Chinese authorities also initially characterized the event as a landslide and debris surge affecting a border area.
But subsequent analysis by the US Geological Survey changed the picture.
The agency said the seismic event originally reported as an earthquake was actually a glacial collapse followed by a debris flow. Analysis of seismic stations, long-period seismic waves and satellite imagery found no evidence that an earthquake had occurred.
The findings suggest that the glacier collapse set off the destructive flow of water and debris that devastated communities downstream.
Rescue teams are continuing their search while authorities work to determine the final number of casualties and missing persons.
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