Rescue personnel are searching through heavy debris along the border of Nepal and Tibet after a cataclysmic mudslide triggered intense flooding, leaving 157 confirmed dead and hundreds unaccounted for. The devastation has stranded numerous travelers in the area, including 133 Indian tourists.
The disaster unfolded when a massive section of mountain collapsed into a riverway along the Himalayan frontier. The resulting wall of mud and water swept downward, destroying vital infrastructure, residential areas, and power installations across the Nepali territory.
Officials in Gyirong county reported extensive damage around the border crossing, expressing concern over the scale of potential casualties. Chinese state media affirmed that the tally of missing persons in the county rapidly scaled to 558 as search efforts expanded.
Eyewitness accounts detail the speed with which the disaster inundated border communities.
“It was a huge gush of mud coming straight towards us. As it got closer, it kept rising higher and higher. When I saw it enter our home, I tried to grab my wife’s hand and take her to the terrace. But she was swept away by the mud,” asserted Keshav Prasad Baral, who survived the disaster and is currently recovering at a nearby hospital.
Authorities on both sides of the border confirmed that rescue teams are working to restore communications and clear routes to evaluate the full extent of the loss. Video footage from the scene verified dozens of individuals being caught in the swift movement of water and earth, signaling widespread damage throughout the river valley.
