United News of Bangladesh

Devastating flash floods caused by the collapse of a glacier have killed at least 160 people and left hundreds more missing along the Nepal–China border. The disaster struck without warning on Wednesday, sweeping through villages, disrupting transportation, and highlighting the growing dangers of climate change in the Himalayan region. Authorities in Nepal confirmed 157 deaths, while Chinese state media reported three fatalities and 265 missing in Tibet’s Gyirong County, close to the border. Drone footage revealed roads washed away, buildings buried under thick mud, and widespread destruction. China's Xinhua News Agency also reported heavy casualties. The mountainous region, known for its steep valleys that serve as key transport and trade routes, is highly vulnerable to natural disasters. In Nepal’s severely affected Nuwakot district, floodwaters coated buildings in mud up to their second floors, while vehicles were buried and debris clung to trees and power lines. Many survivors were left covered in mud, with little time to escape the fast-moving waters. Resident Shoyam Rajbhandari recalled that the flood engulfed Dhunge Bazaar within half an hour, destroying the entire marketplace as people were preparing to leave for work. He said the number of people dead or missing remained unknown. Officials reported that 403 people, including 341 foreign nationals, are missing. Among them are 133 Indian pilgrims traveling to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a sacred destination for Hindus. Also unaccounted for are 47 Americans, 34 Australians, 33 Britons, and 24 Canadians. The U.S. State Department confirmed it is aware that American citizens have been affected. In Nepal’s Rasuwa district, bordering Tibet, at least 62 Nepali citizens remain missing. Many had been trekking near Gosaikunda Lake during the Janai Purnima festival. Although the monsoon season is generally unsuitable for trekking, it is a peak period for pilgrimages to Mount Kailash through the Rasuwa route. Nepal Police spokesperson Abi Narayan Kafle said at least 28 police officers are also missing. Authorities have warned residents to stay away from the Trishuli, Bhotekoshi, and Narayani rivers, as floodwaters swept away 19 bridges and nearly 40 kilometers (25 miles) of roads. The Bhotekoshi River overflowed around 9 a.m., destroying several villages and hydropower facilities. Government spokesperson Sasmit Pokharel said Nepal has requested assistance from both India and China to support ongoing rescue operations.

At least eight people were killed and hundreds remained missing after an avalanche of ice and rocks triggered massive flash floods in parts of Nepal on Wednesday, sweeping away villages and damaging roads and other infrastructure. Officials said 384 tourists were reported missing, including 291 visitors from India, the United States, the United Kingdom and Malaysia. The Bhotekoshi River overflowed around 9 a.m., flooding several villages and damaging roads and hydropower projects, officials said. Authorities warned people in several districts to stay away from the banks of the Bhotekoshi, Trishuli and Narayani rivers. “We have asked both India and China to help us with the rescue efforts,” Nepali government spokesperson Sasmit Pokharel said. Rasuwa district was among the worst-hit areas. The district experienced similar flooding in August last year after a glacial lake in neighboring Tibet overflowed amid rising temperatures in the mountain region. Nine people were killed and key infrastructure, including a bridge linking Nepal and China, was damaged at the time. Climate experts at the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development said an avalanche from a glacier likely caused Wednesday’s flooding. The Lhende Khola River, a tributary of the Bhotekoshi, saw the highest level of flooding, they said. “The Lhende Khola has flooded twice in 14 months, this time after an ice-rock avalanche from a glacier on the Nepal side blocked the river and sent a sudden surge downstream,” said Saswata Sanyal, a disaster risk reduction specialist at the organization. “In a warming Himalaya, early warning is the first line of adaptation,” he said. The Himalayan region, which includes Nepal and parts of several neighboring countries, including India, is highly vulnerable to floods, landslides and heavy rainfall. Experts say the region is warming faster than the global average because of human-driven climate change. Extreme weather events such as heatwaves, heavy rainfall and glacier melt have become more frequent in the region. Researchers at the Kathmandu-based organization said earlier this year that glaciers across the Hindu Kush Himalaya are melting at an accelerating pace, with the rate of ice loss doubling since 2000, largely due to rising global temperatures and climate change.