On Wednesday, a devastating flood struck the Nepal-Tibet border, resulting in at least 353 deaths and over 1,300 people missing, including citizens from more than 30 countries. Rescue teams were still searching for survivors in the heavily affected areas on Thursday. Both China and Nepal have issued warnings that the border region may face secondary floods.
The disaster swept through a popular trekking and pilgrimage route connecting Kathmandu in Nepal and Lhasa in Tibet. The Nepal Tourism Board stated that 31 tourists have been rescued in the severely affected Rasuwa region. According to data released by both China and Nepal, over 1,300 people from more than 30 countries are missing in this sudden catastrophe.
As of Thursday morning, Nepalese police reported at least 353 fatalities and 826 missing persons. The Nepal Tourism Board announced that 517 foreign nationals were missing. Meanwhile, Chinese state media reported that in the severely affected Gyirong County in Tibet, at least 3 people died and 558 went missing, including 260 foreigners. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that nearly 100 Chinese citizens are missing on the Nepalese side.
Multiple countries have confirmed that their citizens are missing. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs indicated that 288 Indian citizens are still unaccounted for, with 73 of them involved in a power project. The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentioned 55 missing Ukrainian citizens, including two tour groups of 47 and 7 people each, and one Ukrainian woman traveling with a foreign tour group. South Korean government officials stated that 9 Korean citizens participating in hydroelectric construction in Nepal are missing. The Russian Embassy in Nepal reported 8 missing Russian citizens. Local media in Japan reported 5 missing Japanese nationals.
According to the Nepal Tourism Board, the missing persons also include 65 Americans, 51 Malaysians, 35 Australians, 33 British citizens, 25 Canadians, 8 Singaporeans, 8 Germans, 6 South Africans, 6 Latvian tourists, 5 New Zealanders, 4 French citizens, 3 Belgians, and 3 Spaniards. Additionally, there are two missing individuals each from Italy, Kazakhstan, Portugal, Ireland, and the Netherlands, and one each from Belarus, Finland, Hungary, Israel, Lithuania, the Philippines, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Serbia, and Sweden.
In the area affected by previous landslides near the China-Nepal border, a lake with rising water levels has formed, sparking concerns about the possibility of the lake breaching.
Aerial footage from CCTV showed that the newly formed barrier lake is located near the Gyirong Port in Tibet but on the Nepalese side. The estimated water volume in the lake is 2 million cubic meters, and it has started to overflow. The lake is still expanding, and it is projected that another 3 million cubic meters of water will flow into it over the next three days, posing a risk of breach.
Nepalese authorities have issued warnings that with the rising water levels in the newly formed lake, there might be another flood. They urge residents and rescue teams along the Bhote Koshi River to remain vigilant and stay in safe areas.
(Reference: Associated Press)