Devastating floods hit Nepal

Yesterday, 10:00

On the border of Nepal and China, an avalanche of rocks and ice crashed into the Lhende Khola River, triggering the most destructive flood since 2015. This was preceded by a magnitude 4.4 earthquake.

In Nepal, a powerful flood surge swept away everything in its path: roads, bridges, houses, and power stations. Officials in China's Tibet Autonomous Region admitted they fear a high number of casualties. Currently, 95 people are confirmed dead, with another 265 listed as missing.

Over 340 foreigners are listed as missing. Among them are citizens of India, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, and the Netherlands.

A landslide reportedly swept away the Gyirong checkpoint. More than 570 rescuers are currently working there. Judging by the footage, a large number of travelers on buses were at that exact location. As media reports note, thousands of tourists travel through the landslide-affected areas of Nepal, making a "pilgrimage" to Lake Manasarovar at the foot of Mount Kailash in Tibet. Reaching the checkpoint is currently difficult—due to a 1.5-meter-thick layer of sediment, the journey there takes at least four hours.

As Western media note, the flood has become the most destructive since 2015, when more than 9,000 people died in the same areas.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for large-scale search and rescue operations in Tibet. It is noted that the disaster-damaged roads and the sparsely populated settlements located there are crucial for China-Nepal trade.