Hundreds Missing After Deadly Flash Flood on Nepal-China Border
A massive flash flood tore through the Trishuli Bazaar area of Nepal's Nuwakot District on Wednesday, killing at least 31 people and leaving hundreds more missing after a landslide-triggered wall of water destroyed infrastructure near the China border.
Landslide, Not a Glacial Lake Outburst, Triggered the Flood
The U.S. Geological Survey said the event that set off the disaster wasn't an earthquake but an exceptionally powerful landslide, equivalent in force to a magnitude 5.2 earthquake. Meteorologists said the landslide sent rock and ice into the Lhende River, blocking it and triggering the cascading flood that swept through the region.
Initial reports pointed to a possible glacial lake outburst flood above the Bhotekoshi River, but scientists have since said that explanation doesn't fit. A geomorphology professor at Berlin's Freie Universität said that satellite imagery shows no major lakes upstream of the flood path, ruling out a glacial lake outburst. That's a different mechanism from the glacial lake outburst flood that killed 18 people in the same region last year.
CCTV footage showed a massive wall of water overwhelming local infrastructure and slamming vehicles into walls as people fled. Houses along the riverside were left partially submerged in muddy water in the flood's aftermath.
Death Toll Expected to Rise as Search Continues
Roughly 400 tourists were reported missing and at least 31 people were confirmed killed, though officials expect the toll to climb given the scale of the destruction. Roads, bridges, and communication and power lines leading into the port city were destroyed or cut off on the Chinese side of the border.
This is Nepal's worst disaster since the 2015 earthquake that killed roughly 9,000 people. The Nepal Army has rescued 88 people so far, with 115 additional rescues pending in the village of Mailung. Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for an all-out search effort.
What's Next
Rescue crews continue working to reach survivors in hard-hit areas, including Mailung, where scores of pending rescues remain. With infrastructure destroyed on both sides of the border, communication and access to the affected areas remain significant challenges for ongoing search and recovery efforts.
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