Catastrophic flash flooding along the China-Nepal border has left more than 150 people dead, with hundreds of others missing.
CNN reported that at least 47 Americans are among those missing, while dramatic footage showed floodwaters sweeping through villages and helicopters rescuing people stranded on rooftops.
A mudslide also struck China’s Gyirong port, prompting Chinese President Xi Jinping to call for “all-out” search efforts.
CNN said the disaster followed a powerful landslide that blocked the Bhote Koshi River, sending a surge of water downstream from China into Nepal. Scientists believe a glacier may have broken away and fallen into the valley, potentially triggering or worsening the landslide.
BBC News reported that the missing tourists include more than 100 people from India, 54 from the United States and 33 from the United Kingdom, along with more than 100 Nepali nationals, citing Nepal’s tourist board. The affected area is popular with pilgrims and trekkers.
BBC also reported that Chinese state media had confirmed three deaths and 265 people missing in Tibet. Nepalese police officers, army personnel and power workers are also among those missing.
Rescue operations continue as authorities work to locate survivors and determine the full extent of the devastation.
Meanwhile, authorities warn that a second flood may be imminent. According to the head of climate and environmental risks at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Qianggong Zhang.
Zhang reported to AFP News Agency that ” a blockage [is] still lodged upstream on the Nepal-China border river.’
