A sudden and catastrophic flash flood swept through steep Himalayan mountain valleys along the border between Nepal and China on Wednesday, killing at least 98 people and leaving hundreds of residents, workers, and international tourists missing.
The disaster struck near Nepal's northern border with the Tibet region of China. A violent wall of water rushed down river valleys, burying entire villages, destroying roads, and washing away vital bridges. In Nepal's Nuwakot and Rasuwa districts, mud and heavy debris completely engulfed buildings up to their second stories, leaving survivors stranded on high ground surrounded by wreckage.
Officials report that hundreds of people are currently unaccounted for. Among the missing are over 300 foreign nationals, including travelers from India, the United States, Australia, Great Britain, Canada, and South Korea. Many of the missing were Hindu pilgrims journeying to sacred sites like Mount Kailash in Tibet or trekking near Gosaikunda Lake for the local Janai Purnima festival.
Local tour operators described catastrophic damage in the affected valleys. Helicopter reconnaissance over the Rasuwa area revealed virtually no remaining infrastructure, with entire settlements swept away by the torrents. Rescuers are using heavy earthmovers and helicopters to reach isolated areas, but destroyed road networks and continuing weather hazards have severely hampered search and rescue efforts.
Climate experts from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development stated that an ice and rock avalanche from a glacier likely blocked a mountain river before bursting and sending a massive flood wave downstream. Water levels in the Trishuli River rose by an extraordinary nine meters (27 feet) in just thirty minutes. Scientists warn that rising global temperatures due to climate change are accelerating glacial melting across the Hindu Kush Himalaya region, making extreme weather events, flash floods, and sudden landslides far more frequent and severe.