The deadly flooding in Nepal and Tibet was triggered by an enormous chunk of mud and debris breaking off from the banks of the Lhende River, which runs between China and Nepal.
The surge of water hit villages and towns along the Bhote Kosi and Trishuli rivers, sweeping away homes, roads, bridges and power plants in Nepal.
Officials on both sides of the border said they feared “major casualties”, while flood alerts were issued in districts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in India.
Aerial footage taken during a rescue mission in Nepal shows the devastating aftermath, with muddy remains of villages left in the wake of the floods.
The Nepali Army has been carrying out rescue flights and has rescued scores of people, while residents living near the river in danger zones were told to relocate.
In the disaster-hit area, rescuers waded through mud and sludge searching for survivors after floodwaters buried the lower floors of multi-storey buildings.
“Entire villages and market areas have been wiped out,” said David Fisher, Nepal head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
In Nepal, authorities said at least 177 people had died, while hundreds remain missing. Others reported missing are from Australia, Britain, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea and the United States, according to Nepal’s tourism board.
Chinese state media reported “major casualties” from a mudslide at the Tibet border hub of Gyirong, saying three people had died and another 265 were missing.
A terrifying surveillance video from the Tibetan side of the frontier shows a massive wall of mud and debris crashing over a several-storey building and engulfing it as dozens of people ran for their lives below.
The surge swept away buses and cars.
The caution
Experts warned that a lingering blockage in a river could trigger another flood.
Images shared by Nepali police showed floodwater surging through a river and sweeping away houses in its path, while images shared by news agency AFP showed the top floor of a house protruding from muddy soil.
Monsoon rains from June to September regularly trigger deadly floods and landslides across South Asia. Scientists say climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events in the region.
Qianggong Zhang, head of climate and environmental risks at the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), warned of the potential for a second flood.
“With a blockage still lodged upstream on the Nepal-China border river, authorities warn a second flood may occur,” he told AFP.
