Massive flash floods that swept through the Himalayan border regions of Nepal and Tibet on Wednesday killed at least 95 people and destroyed villages and infrastructure, according to officials. Hundreds are still missing, including foreign tourists and pilgrims from neighbouring India, as authorities raced to send humanitarian assistance to affected communities.
A huge wall of mud and rock collapsed into a river on the Himalayan border of Nepal and China's Tibet on Wednesday, triggering catastrophic flooding on the Nepali side that killed at least 95 people and left hundreds of tourists missing.
In a still-unfolding disaster, verified videos showed dozens of people swept away at the border, with authorities on both sides fearing far higher casualties and massive destruction.
Houses, roads and power projects were swept away in Nepal, while officials in Tibet said they feared "major casualties", with some people missing in the county of Gyirong after a mudslide hit a border land crossing.
Officials in Nepal said 384 tourists, including 291 from countries such as the United States, Britain and Malaysia, were reported missing. Tourism board officials said most likely were from India and the Indian diaspora on pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a sacred site for Hindus.
Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah urged the Himalayan nation to stand united.
"The pain and loss you have suffered is not small. But I want to assure you that you are not alone in this difficult time -- the state is with you with all its means and resources," Shah said in a statement posted to social media.
"Please be patient. The government takes full responsibility for your rescue, treatment, food and shelter. In times of such a disaster, we all need to stand together."
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he had spoken to Shah, and gave both his condolences and an offer to aid rescue efforts.
"The people of India stand in solidarity with their sisters and brothers in Nepal at this difficult time," Modi said in a statement.
"India is ready to provide all possible humanitarian assistance to Nepal. Our teams are coordinating closely on rescue and relief efforts."
Himalayan river flooding
The Bhotekoshi River flooded around 9 a.m. Wednesday, destroying several villages as well as roads and hydropower projects, officials said. They issued warnings to residents of several of Nepal’s districts and asked them to stay away from the banks of Bhotekoshi, Trishuli and Narayani rivers.
The worst affected area, Rasuwa district, witnessed similar flash floods to those in August last year, when a glacial lake in neighboring Tibet overflowed as a result of high temperatures in the mountain region. Nine people lost their lives and critical infrastructure including a bridge connecting the two countries were damaged at the time.
Climate experts at the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development say an avalanche from a glacier likely caused Wednesday's flash flood.
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The Lhende Khola River, a tributary of the Bhotekoshi River, witnessed maximum flooding Wednesday, they said.
“The Lhende Khola has flooded twice in fourteen months, this time triggered by an ice rock avalanche from a glacier on the Nepal side that blocked the river and released a sudden surge downstream,” said Saswata Sanyal, a disaster risk reduction specialist at the climate research group.
“In a warming Himalaya, early warning is the first line of adaptation,” he added.
The Himalayan region, which crosses Nepal and several nearby countries including India, is especially vulnerable to heavy rains, floods and landslides because the area is warming up faster than the rest of the world due to human-caused climate change. Research has shown that extreme weather events including heat waves, heavy rains and melting glaciers have become more frequent in the region.
Researchers at the Kathmandu research group found earlier this year that glaciers across the Hindu Kush Himalaya region are melting at an accelerating rate, with ice loss rates doubling since 2000 primarily due to rising global temperatures and climate change.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
