A massive flash flood tore through the Himalayan border region between Nepal and Tibet on Wednesday morning, and the numbers keep climbing by the hour. What started as reports of a few dozen dead has since ballooned into a catastrophe, with at least 31 people confirmed killed and hundreds of tourists still unaccounted for as rescue crews scramble through mud, debris, and washed out roads to find survivors.
How’s this happen? An earthquake reportedly triggered a massive landslide that dammed up a river, and when that natural dam gave way, it sent a violent surge of water crashing downstream onto everything in its path. Other reports point to an ice, rock avalanche that blocked a river tributary before releasing a sudden, catastrophic surge downstream. Either way, the result was the same; a literal wall of water and mud swallowing up entire communities in seconds. Security camera footage caught the terrifying moment it happened, showing people running for their lives as the floodwater wiped out everything in its path.
The disaster crossed borders. Tibet got hit too, and Chinese state media is already warning of “major casualties” after a mudslide slammed into a border crossing. It got so serious that Chinese leader Xi Jinping personally called for “all-out” search efforts.
The missing persons list is what’s really keeping people up at night. Nepal’s tourism authority says the number of unaccounted-for travelers has surged past 380, with 105 Indians, 93 Nepalis, three U.S. citizens, and 12 British nationals among those missing, and South Korean media reporting roughly eight of their nationals also unaccounted for. This was a popular trekking and tourism corridor, so folks from all over the world were out there when the water hit.
President Ramachandra Paudel said he was “extremely saddened” by the loss of life and property, and he’s calling on the government, political parties, agencies, and everyday citizens to step up rescue and relief efforts. On the ground, local officials are bracing for the worst.
Right now the story is still moving. Numbers are rising, families are waiting on word about loved ones, and rescue teams are racing against time in some of the roughest terrain on Earth. We’ll keep watching this one closely.