TIBET (Kashmir English): A massive flash flood, which caused widespread destruction in the Himalayan border area between Nepal and China’s Tibet, has killed 157 people in Nepal and left hundreds of tourists and locals missing.
According to authorities, 157 bodies have been recovered so far, but there are fears that the death toll will rise further.
According to the foreign news agency Reuters, a huge landslide of mud and rocks in the border area erupted into a river, after which flash floods engulfed houses, roads, vehicles and power projects.
Videos from the affected areas showed people running to escape the flood, while many people were swept away by the fast-moving water and debris.
According to the Nepalese Prime Minister’s Office, 157 bodies have been recovered.
The identification process is underway, while 484 tourists are missing. The missing include 391 foreigners and 93 Nepalese citizens.
According to Nepal’s tourism ministry, the missing foreigners include more than 100 Indians, three Americans and 12 British nationals.
According to officials, the affected area is located on the route to the famous Kailash Mansarovar religious site in Tibet, where a large number of Hindu pilgrims from India and other countries travel every year.
China has also reported large-scale casualties. According to the state broadcaster, three people have died, and 265 are missing in the Girong region of Tibet.
South Korea has said that eight of its citizens working on a hydropower project are missing.
According to initial reports, the 4.4-magnitude earthquake that struck the area likely triggered the collapse of the lower part of the glacier, which resulted in a flood of ice, rocks and debris entering the Lahende River.
According to an initial assessment of satellite images, the landslide occurred about 20 kilometers northeast of the border crossing.
Rescue operations are underway in the affected areas, and people are being evacuated to safer places by helicopters, however, due to severe destruction in some mountainous areas, rescue teams are facing difficulties in reaching them.
China has sent drones to assess the damage, while planes, helicopters and other equipment have been kept ready for rescue operations.
