A wall of ice, mud and rock collapsed into a Himalayan river at the Nepal – China border near Tibet on Wednesday morning, triggering catastrophic floods that swallowed roads, bridges, houses, and power projects across at least six districts, killing 160 people and leaving at least 750 others unaccounted for.
Indians formed the largest chunk of foreigners unaccounted for – 133 Indians and 37 non-resident Indians – and most of them were Kailash Mansarovar Yatra pilgrims. At least 37 of them were travelling under the banner of one travel operator from Tamil Nadu, officials said. China’s state broadcaster CCTV said a mudslide in the Tibet’s Gyirong County near the border killed at least three and left 265 missing. Nepal tourism joint secretary Jai Narayan Acharya said 398 people were not in touch with tour operators – including 133 Indians and 59 Nepalese.
“Spoke to Prime Minister Balendra Shah and conveyed condolences on the loss of lives due to the floods in Nepal. The death toll was expected to rise in the still-unfolding disaster. “They may have shifted to safer or higher areas. Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah urged unity. “The pain and loss you have suffered is not small. The India Meteorological Department warned that the flood wave was advancing rapidly downstream.
The people of India stand in solidarity with their sisters and brothers in Nepal at this difficult time,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on X. Most of the missing people were on three different treks or yatra – Kailash Mansarovar, langtang trek and Gosaikunda trek,” he said. But I want to assure you that you are not alone in this difficult time — the state is with you with all its means and resources,” Shah said in a statement. Nepali officials aware of the matter said the districts worst affected were Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Gorkha, Dhading, Chitwan, Tanahu and Nawalparasi East. “High water levels are projected to converge at the Marshyangdi confluence at Mugling and push into the main Narayani (Gandak) channel,” it said in a release.
