A sudden and powerful flood tore through Rasuwa district in northern Nepal on Wednesday, devastating towns, markets, roads and hydroelectric infrastructure along the border with Tibet, China. Authorities believe the disaster was set off by an earthquake in the region, though officials have not yet confirmed full details of the seismic event.
Videos circulating online show entire homes submerged in thick mud, including in the town of Trishuli Bazar, where the force of the water reportedly buried buildings and swept away roads. The scale of destruction has hampered rescue efforts in the mountainous area.
At least 16 people have been confirmed dead, and Nepali officials say they have lost contact with roughly 400 people, raising fears the death toll could climb significantly. Among those unaccounted for are 384 tourists who were in the area at the time of the flood, including 291 foreign visitors, underscoring Rasuwa’s popularity as a gateway for trekking and mountain tourism near the Tibetan frontier.
Rescue teams are working to reach affected communities, though damaged infrastructure and the remote, mountainous terrain are complicating access. Nepali authorities have not yet released a full accounting of the missing tourists’ nationalities or coordinated international recovery efforts.
For more details and video footage from the scene, readers can consult the original report by eltiempo.com.
Image: DFID – UK Department for International Development, BY 2.0 (via Openverse).