Flash floods along the Nepal-China border have resulted in at least 353 fatalities and left over 1,300 individuals missing. The floods have swept away villages, roads, and hydropower facilities. Authorities report that individuals from more than 30 countries are unaccounted for, including numerous foreign tourists and Hindu pilgrims traveling to the sacred Mt. Kailash region in Tibet.
New satellite images from Vantor Satellite Imagery depict extensive damage along a 10-mile stretch of the Trishuli River, which flows south from the northern border with China. The region, characterized by steep slopes and lush valleys beneath the Himalayan mountain range, is particularly susceptible to flooding and landslides. Researchers indicate that melting glaciers, exacerbated by climate change, have increased the frequency of such events.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the recent flash flood was triggered by a large section of a glacier breaking off and temporarily damming a river, leading to a sudden surge of water downstream. Water levels in rivers in the affected area rose by as much as 29½ feet within 30 minutes due to this surge, according to researchers from a Kathmandu-based climate research group.
India's Ministry of External Affairs reported that 288 of its nationals, including 73 workers on a power project, are missing. South Korean officials also stated that nine citizens working on a hydropower plant are unaccounted for.
The floods have severely impacted infrastructure, with the power plant along the Trishuli River, which contributed approximately 10% of Nepal's power production, being among the facilities affected. Rescuers have discovered bodies in Chitwan district, located hundreds of miles downstream from the most severely affected areas.
Bishal Kumar Bhandari, chairman of the Nepal Red Cross Society, indicated that the focus has shifted from rescue efforts to large-scale relief operations in the flood-affected districts, with around 1,200 individuals displaced from at least three villages.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.