Catastrophic Flash Flood in Nepal and Tibet Leaves Nearly 1,400 Missing > 월드뉴스

Rescuers are currently searching for nearly 1,400 people, primarily tourists, who are unaccounted for following a devastating flash flood that struck Nepal and Tibet, resulting in at least 356 fatalities. The flood, which swept through valleys and obliterated entire villages, has complicated rescue efforts due to the destruction of numerous bridges and approximately 25 miles of roads in the mountainous region, a popular area for trekkers and pilgrims.

Footage from the disaster depicted a massive wall of water crashing down at the border as individuals attempted to escape. The flood caused trucks to overturn and swept away houses, roads, and power plants in Nepal. Officials in Tibet expressed concerns about potential “major casualties” following a mudslide that impacted a border crossing.

Rescue teams have discovered bodies hundreds of miles downstream from the disaster zone in Nepal's Chitwan district, close to the Tibetan border. Many injured individuals have been evacuated to Kathmandu for advanced medical treatment. By Thursday morning, the Nepali army reported that over 100 people had been rescued from affected areas via helicopter.

David Fisher, head of the Nepal delegation for the International Federation of the Red Cross, indicated that entire villages and market areas had been destroyed. In the impacted regions, homes, trees, and vehicles have been either submerged or buried under mudslides. Helicopters have been actively involved in rescue operations throughout the day.

The power and speed of the rushing waters left little time for residents to escape. Individuals from severely affected areas, such as Nuwakot and Dhading, gathered outside a Nepali army training center, which serves as a base for helicopter rescue operations, seeking news about missing family members. Police have been recording the names of the missing outside the barracks, using mobile phone torches as their only light source due to the lack of electricity caused by damaged hydroelectric infrastructure.

The village of Soley in Nuwakot, which once housed approximately 25 homes, has been virtually erased, according to Nirajan Paudyal, a journalist from Kathmandu whose family resides there. He traveled to the area seeking information about his relatives but reported, “There is no update till now. I fear there won’t be any update.”

Among the 826 individuals reported missing in Nepal, nearly 600 are foreigners, according to police and tourism officials. This includes 177 from India, 63 from the United States, 34 from Australia, 33 from Britain, and 25 from Canada. Chinese state media reported that at least 558 individuals are missing on the Tibetan side of the border, with around 260 being foreign nationals. Nepalese police confirmed the recovery of 353 bodies by Thursday afternoon, while Chinese reports indicated three fatalities on the Tibet side. Many victims were believed to be on a pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar, a revered high-altitude site in Tibet for Hindus and Buddhists.