At least 18 dead and nearly 400 tourists missing in Nepal after a major flood

BarcelonaA huge flood hit towns, markets and roads on Wednesday in the Nepalese district of Rasuwa, which borders Tibet. Authorities currently report 18 deaths and nearly 400 tourists missing. According to initial information, the flood was not caused by rain. The causes have not yet been determined, and among the possibilities, an earthquake is being pointed to. The tremor would have caused a landslide of sand that would have ended up in the bed of the Bhote Koshi River.

"A preliminary record, compiled from information from tourism and travel companies, has identified 384 travelers – including 291 foreigners and 93 Nepalis – reported as missing in the affected areas," the Nepal tourism board reports in a statement on X. Among the foreigners, authorities have reported that there are people with nationalities from India, Australia, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Malaysia.

The affected area is one of the main land crossings between Nepal and China, through which many vehicles transporting goods pass throughout the region. It is also an area frequented by pilgrims and tourists traveling to Tibet. In fact, according to the director of the companyTouch Kailash Travels, most tourists who have not yet been contacted were travelers who were in Nepal on their way to Tibet to participate in the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, the pilgrimage journey to the sacred mountain of Kalish and the lake Mansarovar in Tibet, considered sacred by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains.

Difficulty in assessing damages

The main road connecting the area with the capital, Kathmandu, has been affected and is cut off in several sections. Initial reports suggest that between 30 and 40 drivers and dozens of police officers are also missing, but the figures have not yet been verified. Meanwhile, authorities are asking residents to stay away from riverbeds and be prepared to be evacuated due to the possibility of further floods.

So far, 29 people have been rescued. According to the spokesperson for the Nepalese army, Rajaram Basnet, six helicopters from the armed forces and eight operated by private companies are working on search and rescue operations. "It is difficult to assess the damage at this time, but it is possible that both the damage and the number of victims will be considerable," he warned. Access to the area is complicated, and in several places helicopters have difficulty operating.