Floods in Nepal cause dozens of deaths and leave hundreds missing on the border with China

At least 98 people died this Wednesday (26) after strong floods hit areas close to the Nepal border with China. The figure was released by the Nepalese police and is expected to increase throughout the day, given the search for missing people.

According to police spokesman Abi Narayan Kafle, 28 police officers were among those missing. Nepal’s Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation also reported that 403 travelers were reported missing in the affected areas, including 341 foreigners.

An avalanche of mud and debris breached the bank of a river, burying buildings and sweeping away vehicles and houses. Images released by the Nepalese police show the force of the water in the district of Rasuwa, where the current washed away part of the structures built on the banks of the river.

The flood reached Syabrubesi, the starting point of one of the main transport routes. trekking of Nepal, as well as areas used by people making the Hindu pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar.

In Nuwakot, one of the affected locations, teacher Suman Chalise, 34, reported seeing the current carry away trucks, houses and people.

“I saw when the waters swept away eight or nine trucks, as well as houses and people,” he told AFP. “It was absolutely heartbreaking. I was witness to devastation of a magnitude that I had never seen before.”

Nepalese authorities are still assessing the extent of the damage. Emergency teams are searching for survivors and missing people, while residents close to river banks have been asked to leave risk areas.

Slip on the Chinese side

Chinese state media reported that a landslide in the border region, on the Nepal side, caused “many victims” and left people missing in the Gyirong region, in Tibet.

Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered a large-scale rescue operation. According to the state broadcaster CCTVhe stated that the priority is to locate and remove the missing, treat the injured and reduce the number of victims.

Floods and landslides are common during the monsoon season in Nepal and other regions of South Asia. Scientists point out that climate change contributes to an increase in the intensity and frequency of extreme events.