China's state media reported on 26/8 that the country recorded "significant casualties" from a landslide on the Tibet-Nepal border, with at least three people dead and 265 missing.
Nepal has recovered 157 bodies. In affected areas, rescue workers waded through thick mud, searching for buried survivors. According to Nepal's Ministry of Tourism, about 403 tourists, including 341 foreigners, are unaccounted for.
The tourism agency specified that among the missing foreigners are 142 Indian citizens, along with individuals from Australia, the UK, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea, and the US.
"Many villages have been flattened," said David Fisher, head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) delegation in Nepal.
The federation is mobilizing emergency relief supplies, including blankets, first aid kits, stretchers, and body bags.
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Mud covers houses after a flash flood in Trishuli, Nuwakot district, Nepal, 26/8. Photo: Reuters |
Nepal's Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal stated that an earthquake likely triggered landslides, blocking the river and causing floodwaters to surge downstream.
Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah announced that police and military forces are engaged in rescue efforts, directing officials to evacuate residents in downstream areas to safer locations.
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Location of Nepal and Tibet, China. Graphic: BBC |
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for "utmost determination" in searching for the missing, while also directing tighter monitoring and early warnings to prevent secondary disasters.
Originating in Tibet, the Bhote Koshi River flows into Nepal's Trishuli River before continuing into India as the Gandak River. A flood on the Bhote Koshi River last year killed 9 people and washed away the friendship bridge connecting Nepal with China, disrupting trade and traffic for many months.
Ngoc Anh (According to AFP, Reuters)
