Deadly Floods Ravage Nepal and Tibet: Over 270 Dead, 1,300 Missing

POLICY WIRE — Kathmandu, Nepal — Rescue teams are urgently searching for over 1,300 individuals missing in the wake of devastating floods and mudslides that struck the Nepal-Tibet border region. The disaster, triggered by a glacier collapse, has resulted in at least 273 fatalities.

Footage from the disaster shows people fleeing as floodwaters and mud engulfed buildings and bridges. The torrents of water and debris have left a trail of destruction, with many structures buried and vehicles submerged.

The affected areas, characterized by steep slopes and lush valleys, are particularly susceptible to such calamities. Climate change has exacerbated the melting of glaciers, making such events more frequent.

In Nepal, the disaster has claimed 270 lives and left 826 missing, while in Tibet, three deaths and 558 missing persons have been reported. The Nepalese army has rescued over 100 people via helicopter and evacuated others from the Trishuli hydropower project.

Dozens of bridges have been destroyed, and nearly 40 kilometers of roads have been damaged, complicating rescue operations. The Nepal Red Cross Society has shifted its focus to large-scale relief efforts, with around 1,200 people displaced.

In Tibet, a mudslide near Gyirong Port has left an average of 1½ meters of mud in the surrounding areas. Chinese authorities have deployed military resources and warned of potential secondary landslides due to continued rainfall.

Among the missing are 517 foreigners, including 178 from India and over 60 from the U.S., with the rest from various other countries. Many were likely on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet.

The U.S. Geological Survey initially reported a magnitude 4.4 earthquake but later corrected it to a magnitude 5.2 glacier collapse. Climate experts suggest that an avalanche from a glacier likely caused the flash flood.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)