Phoenix 24
A Himalayan disaster has crossed borders and overwhelmed entire communities.
NUWAKOT, NEPAL
Severe flooding in northern Nepal has killed at least 157 people, while 403 others remain missing after torrents of water and mud swept through Himalayan valleys near the Chinese border. Nepalese authorities confirmed that 341 of those unaccounted for are foreign tourists, including two Spanish citizens. Twenty-eight police officers from the Rasuwa district are also missing as emergency teams continue searching devastated communities.
The disaster struck settlements along the Trishuli River and surrounding mountain waterways, destroying houses, vehicles and sections of road. Witnesses described watching trucks, homes and people being carried away by the floodwaters. Images from the affected region showed buildings buried in mud and families waiting for information about missing relatives. Authorities have warned residents to avoid riverbanks, streams and unstable slopes because further landslides remain possible.
Nepal’s army has deployed helicopters and disaster-response personnel, while police teams are using drones and search dogs to locate survivors. Several highways have been closed, complicating access to remote communities and delaying the distribution of humanitarian assistance. The floods also damaged approximately 430 megawatts of electricity-generation capacity, affecting hydroelectric and solar facilities as well as transmission and distribution networks.
A preliminary assessment suggests that a rock-and-ice avalanche may have blocked the Lhende River before releasing a cascading flood. The destruction extended toward the Gyirong border crossing in Tibet, where Chinese state media reported numerous casualties and missing people without providing a confirmed total. Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered an extensive search-and-rescue operation as authorities warned that roads in the region remained vulnerable to mudslides.
Spain’s Foreign Ministry said it had not independently confirmed that Spanish nationals were missing, although Nepalese records reportedly include two Spaniards. The Spanish Embassy in New Delhi and the honorary consulate in Nepal are monitoring the emergency and preparing to provide assistance. The conflicting information reflects the difficulty of identifying victims and locating travellers during a rapidly evolving disaster. Monsoon rains regularly cause deadly floods and landslides across South Asia, but the scale of this event has exposed once again the extreme vulnerability of mountain communities to sudden environmental collapse.
Nature may trigger disaster, but preparedness determines how many lives can still be saved.