Flash Floods and Landslides Hit Nepal-China Border: 384 Tourists Missing

A catastrophic flash flood and massive landslide along the Nepal-China border region have left at least 384 tourists and travelers missing, including Indian nationals. According to reports from the BBC and Anadolu Agency, the Nepal Tourism Board has confirmed at least eight fatalities resulting from the disaster that struck abruptly on Wednesday morning around 8:30 AM local time.

Rescue and search operations are currently underway on both the Nepali and Chinese sides to locate the missing individuals. The Nepal Police reported that eight bodies have been recovered from the Nuwakot and Dhading districts, where raging floodwaters swept away police stations, customs offices, and numerous private homes. The missing tourists include citizens from India, Nepal, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, and the Netherlands, while the nationalities of several others remain unverified.

China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported that landslides also struck the Gyirong Port area in the southwestern Xizang Autonomous Region (Tibet). As a vital overland route between Nepal and China, the disaster has severely disrupted road networks, communication lines, and power supplies on the Chinese side. Shailendra Thapa, a spokesperson for the Armed Police Force of Nepal, suggested that the disaster may have been triggered by a sudden glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) originating upstream.

Authorities have issued urgent flood warnings for downstream residents extending down to Nepal’s Chitwan district. Emergency response teams, including helicopters and security personnel alongside local volunteers, have been deployed for rescue operations. This affected region serves as a primary entry point for popular trekking routes and travelers heading towards China's Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar.