A catastrophic flash flood disaster along the Nepal-China border has killed at least 98 people and left hundreds more missing, prompting an international rescue effort and urgent concern for pilgrims and travelers caught in the Himalayan region.
According to The Associated Press, Nepal’s prime minister’s office reported at least 95 deaths following Wednesday’s flooding. China’s state broadcaster CCTV reported another three deaths in a mudslide in Tibet’s Gyirong County, where 265 people were also reported missing.
The destruction has been severe. Roads have been washed away, buildings have been buried in mud, vehicles have been engulfed by debris, and entire communities have been disrupted. In Nepal’s Nuwakot district, floodwaters left mud reaching high onto buildings as survivors emerged from the devastation.
The human toll extends far beyond the affected villages. According to AP, Nepalese officials said 403 people were reported missing, including 341 foreign nationals.
Among them were 133 Indian citizens traveling on pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a site considered sacred by Hindus. Officials also reported 47 Americans, 34 Australians, 33 British citizens and 24 Canadians among the missing.
Another 62 missing Nepalese citizens had been trekking in the Gosaikunda Lake area of Rasuwa during the period surrounding the Janai Purnima festival. At least 28 Nepalese police officials were also missing, according to police spokesperson Abi Narayan Kafle.
The disaster has triggered warnings along several rivers, including the Bhotekoshi, Trishuli and Narayani. The Bhotekoshi flooded Wednesday morning, destroying villages, roads and hydropower projects.
Nepal has appealed to neighboring nations for assistance.
“We have asked both India and China to help us with the rescue efforts,” government spokesperson Sasmit Pokharel told AP.
Countries around the world are now trying to account for citizens believed to have been in the affected region. South Korean officials reported nine citizens working on a hydropower project among the missing, while Malaysia reported losing contact with 11 citizens believed to have been in Rasuwa. Russia’s embassy said four Russian citizens in the affected area were also reportedly missing.
India has offered humanitarian assistance. According to AP, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “India is prepared to provide Nepal with all possible types of humanitarian assistance. Our teams are closely coordinating on rescue and relief efforts.”
Australia, Britain, the European Union, Finland, France, Norway and Switzerland also issued a joint statement expressing solidarity with Nepal and urging those in affected areas to follow official safety instructions.
Experts cited by AP said an avalanche from a glacier likely triggered the catastrophic flooding. Saswata Sanyal, a disaster risk reduction specialist with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, said the Lhende Khola had flooded twice in just 14 months.
“The Lhende Khola has flooded twice in 14 months, this time triggered by an ice rock avalanche from a glacier on the Nepal side that blocked the river and released a sudden surge downstream,” Sanyal said.
The tragedy comes after deadly flooding struck the same Himalayan region last year, when an overflowing glacial lake in Tibet killed nine people and damaged important infrastructure.
For Catholics watching the tragedy unfold from around the world, the enormous number of dead and missing calls for prayer. Behind every statistic is a person whose family is waiting for news, a community mourning its dead, or a rescue worker entering dangerous conditions in the hope of finding survivors.
Please pray for those who have died, that God may receive them into His mercy; for the missing, that they may be found safely; for the injured and displaced; and for the families enduring agonizing uncertainty. Pray also for the rescuers and emergency personnel working amid dangerous conditions.
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