Floodwaters hit the border region
Nearly 400 people have been confirmed dead after massive flash flooding ravaged the Nepal-Tibet border region on Wednesday. More than 1,300 people remained missing as of Thursday morning, authorities said. Heavy rain triggered flash floods and landslides in the Himalayan border area, sweeping away homes, bridges, and roads.
Drone footage captured the scale of the devastation. Whole villages along the river valleys were buried under mud and debris. The Bhotekoshi River in Nepal's northern Rasuwa district surged through a widened channel, carrying mud-laden water into communities downstream.
Americans among the missing
The Nepal Tourism Board announced that 66 American citizens are missing, with two people rescued so far. Families in the United States have been posting on social media, asking for help locating loved ones who were trekking in the region. The area is a popular destination for mountaineers and adventure travelers.
Rescue teams from Nepal and China are working in difficult conditions. Landslides have blocked many roads, forcing rescuers to reach some villages by helicopter. Bad weather has slowed flights, and the search effort is expected to take weeks.
Warning systems under review
Experts say the speed of the flash floods probably overwhelmed the region's warning systems. “The water came too fast for any alarm to help,” one hydrologist told reporters. Scientists are also studying whether melting glaciers and permafrost in the Himalayas made the landslide more likely as temperatures rise.
Chinese control of information has made it hard to assess the full damage on the Tibetan side of the border. Aid groups are calling for both governments to share data so that the full scale of the disaster becomes clear. International assistance is beginning to arrive as the search for survivors continues.