Nepal-China border floods kill 95, hundreds missing

KATHMANDU, Nepal: At least 95 people have died and hundreds of tourists remain missing after devastating floods struck the Nepal-China border region, where mud and rocks falling into a river triggered a powerful surge.

Videos of Wednesday’s disaster showed people running for their lives as a torrent of water, mud and debris swept through the border area. Authorities in Nepal and China warned that the death toll could rise and that the flooding had caused widespread destruction.

Several homes, roads and power projects in Nepal were swept away. On the Chinese side, authorities said a landslide at a border crossing raised fears of significant casualties in Gyirong county in Tibet.

Nepal’s tourism authorities said at least 384 tourists were missing in the affected area, including 105 Indians, 93 Nepalis, 12 Britons and three Americans. South Korea’s Yonhap news agency separately reported that eight South Korean nationals were also missing.

A Nepalese police official said 95 bodies had been recovered following the flooding.

Chinese state media reported that the landslide affected Gyirong port and damaged roads, communications infrastructure and power facilities in the border region.

China Central Television reported that at least 574 rescue workers had been deployed at the Gyirong land crossing. A rescue worker said roads leading to the affected area were covered by mud and debris up to about 5 feet thick, making access difficult and causing rescue teams to take at least four hours to reach the site.

India’s northern states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar also issued flood alerts amid concerns that rivers flowing from the Himalayan region could carry additional water toward the plains.