Flash floods along the Nepal-China border have resulted in at least 353 fatalities and left over 1,300 individuals missing. The floods have destroyed villages, roads, and hydropower facilities. Authorities report that people from more than 30 countries are unaccounted for, including numerous foreign tourists and Hindu pilgrims traveling to the Mt. Kailash region in Tibet.
Recent satellite images from Vantor Satellite Imagery reveal extensive damage along a 10-mile stretch of the Trishuli River, which flows south from the northern border with China. The region's steep slopes and lush valleys, located in the Himalayan mountain range, are particularly susceptible to flooding and landslides, exacerbated by climate change-related glacier melting.
One image shows the Rasuwagadhi border post on April 19, 2024, and again after the flood, indicating that the structure has been completely destroyed. Preliminary investigations suggest that the flash flood was triggered by a large glacier chunk that broke off and temporarily blocked a river, causing a surge of water downstream.
Another image depicts a power plant and bridge downstream from the border post before and after the flood. This power plant contributed approximately 10% of Nepal's electricity production, according to the Associated Press. India’s Ministry of External Affairs reported that 288 of its nationals are missing, including 73 workers on a power project. South Korean officials also stated that nine citizens involved in a hydropower plant construction are unaccounted for.
Researchers from a Kathmandu-based climate group indicated that water levels in the affected rivers rose by as much as 29.5 feet within 30 minutes due to the glacial detachment. The village of Syapru Besi, located 8.5 miles downriver from the border post, has seen much of its infrastructure swept away. Rescuers have discovered bodies in Chitwan district, located hundreds of miles downstream from the most severely impacted areas.
Bishal Kumar Bhandari, chairman of the Nepal Red Cross Society, stated that the organization has shifted its focus from rescue efforts to large-scale relief operations in the flood-affected districts, with around 1,200 individuals displaced from at least three villages. The Associated Press contributed to this report.