Early Wednesday morning, floodwaters surged through a river in Nepal, resulting in the loss of at least 72 lives.
Rescue teams have been recovering bodies from various locations, as stated by Nepal police spokesperson Abi Narayan Kafle in a report to the Associated Press. There are concerns for at least 28 police officials who remain unaccounted for. Additionally, the Nepal Tourist Board has identified 384 individuals as missing, which includes three American citizens, according to the AP.
Footage circulating online depicted a landslide crashing down at the Gyirong Port checkpoint on the Chinese border, with people fleeing the scene. Verified videos showed the floodwaters sweeping away numerous individuals at the border, as reported by Reuters.
Officials from the tourism board indicated that a significant number of those missing are likely to be Indian nationals or members of the Indian diaspora who were en route to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a significant Hindu pilgrimage site, according to the AP.
Nearly all trade between China and Nepal transits through the Gyirong Port, as noted by the South China Morning Post. Chinese state media have reported significant casualties and individuals missing at the crossing. President Xi Jinping has instructed officials to enhance search efforts, while also emphasizing the need for improved monitoring systems to prevent similar future incidents, as mentioned by Chinese state-controlled media outlet Xinhua.
Nepal has mobilized its army, Armed Police Force, and national police for the rescue operations, utilizing 14 helicopters, according to The Kathmandu Post. A spokesperson from the Nepali Army reported that by Wednesday afternoon, at least 25 individuals had been safely evacuated. However, nine personnel from the Armed Police Force stationed at Timure near the border are currently missing.
The cause of the flooding has not yet been confirmed by Nepali authorities.
Saswata Sanyal from the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development explained that “the Lhende Khola has flooded twice in 14 months” and noted that this recent flooding was caused by an ice rock avalanche from a glacier on the Nepal side which obstructed the river and led to a sudden surge downstream, as reported by the AP.
According to The Kathmandu Post, Nepal’s Flood Forecasting Division has only received informal information suggesting a landslide occurred in Tibet, while Xinhua attributed the mudslide to the Nepali side, as reported by Reuters.
Previously, the same river experienced flooding in 2025 when a glacial lake in Tibet overflowed, resulting in nine fatalities. That incident also destroyed a bridge linking the two nations, according to the AP.
