Flash floods at Nepal-China border kill 160, hundreds missing
Flash floods near Nepal-China border kill at least 160, with hundreds missing including foreign pilgrims and trekkers.
CCTV footage from Wednesday shows floodwaters and debris overwhelming Gyirong Port, a key crossing on the Nepal-China border, following massive flash floods in the region. The deluge has killed at least 160 people and left hundreds more unaccounted for, disrupting travel and sweeping through communities.
Nepal police have confirmed at least 157 deaths, while China's state broadcaster reports at least three dead and 265 missing in Tibet's Gyirong County, which borders Nepal. Officials in Nepal say 403 people, including 341 foreign nationals, are reported missing.
Among the missing are 133 Indian pilgrims travelling to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a sacred site for Hindus, according to Sunil Sharma, a tourism board spokesperson. Also unaccounted for are 47 Americans, 34 Australians, 33 Britons and 24 Canadians. The US State Department has acknowledged that Americans have been affected.
At least 62 Nepali citizens are missing in the Gosaikunda Lake area in Rasuwa district, which borders Tibet's Gyirong. Many were trekking during the Janai Purnima festival on Friday. While the current monsoon makes trekking in Nepal less favourable, it is a peak season for the Kailash pilgrimage route through Rasuwa.
Nepal police spokesperson Abi Narayan Kafle said at least 28 police officials are missing. Experts suggest an avalanche from a glacier in the warming Himalaya region is the likely cause of the flash floods.