Flash Floods Devastate Nepal-Tibet Border, Over 150 Dead
Gyirong checkpoint destroyed as rescue efforts intensify for hundreds missing, including 12 Britons.
Image: Eddie Pollard / AI
Callum Smith
Flash floods have ravaged the border region between Nepal and Tibet, leaving over 150 people dead.
Hundreds more remain missing, with officials in China-controlled Tibet fearing 'major casualties' from the disaster, and Chinese authorities reportedly indicating that people are missing in Gyirong county following the mudslide.
The Gyirong checkpoint, a critical tourist crossing between Nepal and Tibet, was obliterated at 11am local time on Tuesday.
The torrent tore through villages, power facilities, roads, and bridges, leaving widespread devastation in its wake.
A bridge in Trishuli, Nepal, was also swept away by floodwaters on Wednesday, August 26.
Police and military personnel are spearheading rescue operations, supported by international teams from China, India, and South Korea.
However, high water levels and heavy flood sediment are currently impeding helicopter landings, complicating the urgent search.
Among the unaccounted are 384 tourists and trekkers, comprising 291 foreign nationals and 93 Nepali citizens.
This figure includes 12 Britons, with one each from Australia and the Netherlands also reportedly missing.
Eight South Korean workers at a hydropower plant are missing, and 10 others remain stranded.
Nepal has deployed 14 helicopters and disaster response teams to aid in rescue and relief efforts.
Nepal police confirmed that 17 bodies have been discovered after a flood and mudslide swept through villages in the Himalayan border area, bringing the total recovered bodies to 22.
An initial assessment suggests an ice avalanche blocked the Lhende river, triggering the flood in Bhotekoshi.
The Bhote Koshi river, originating in Tibet, flows into Nepal's Trishuli river before eventually reaching India as the Gandak river.
China's President Xi Jinping has called for "all-out" search efforts for the missing and stronger monitoring and early warning systems.
We encourage all those in affected areas to follow the guidance of local authorities and official safety advisories as the situation continues to evolve.
The British embassy in Kathmandu urged people in affected areas to follow local advice, a sentiment echoed by the Australian Ambassador to Nepal, Simon Ernst, who stated, "We encourage all those in affected areas to follow the guidance of local authorities and official safety advisories as the situation continues to evolve."
Balendra Shah, a local official, issued instructions "to move the people living in the lower areas to safer places," advising those along the river "to exercise extra caution and remain alert."
Heavy casualties or loss of property.
Narendra Pariyar, another official, warned of the potential for "heavy casualties or loss of property."
Visitors are urged to stay in regular contact with hotels and travel agencies, with the Nepal Tourism Board working to verify the whereabouts and safety status of those travelling through the region.
The areas of Syapru Besi and Timure in the Rasuwa district were severely affected, and thirteen officers from the armed police force are reportedly missing from two posts in Rasuwa district.
The mudslide on the Nepali side reportedly impacted China's Gyirong port, severing roads, communications, and power.
Approximately 430 MW of electricity supplies have been disrupted, primarily from hydroelectric projects, with roads and bridges reportedly sustaining damage exceeding 15bn Nepalese rupees.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is working to confirm the welfare of missing Australians, as search operations continue on both sides of the Nepal-China border.