A catastrophic wall of mud, rock and water tore through the Nepal-Tibet border region Wednesday, killing at least 95 people and leaving hundreds missing as rescuers struggled to reach devastated communities.
The disaster began when a massive ice-and-rock avalanche crashed into the Lhende River, sending a debris-filled flood toward Nepal’s Rasuwa district. Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority based its initial findings on satellite imagery, Reuters reported.
Officials are investigating whether a magnitude 4.4 earthquake triggered the avalanche. The quake occurred approximately seven minutes before security cameras captured the flood’s arrival.
The raging water swept away homes, roads and bridges. Entire villages were engulfed, while damage to power projects disrupted Nepal’s hydroelectric system.
“There is devastation everywhere we look,” health worker Tula Bahadur BK told Reuters. “The settlements next to the river have been completely swept away. Five of my own relatives are missing.”
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At least 341 foreign travelers were among those missing, according to Nepal’s tourism ministry. They included more than 100 Indians, three Americans and 12 British citizens. Eight South Korean hydropower workers were also unaccounted for.
In Tibet, the mudslide struck Gyirong Port, destroying access roads and cutting electricity and communications. China deployed more than 600 emergency personnel as President Xi Jinping ordered an intensified search for survivors.
Rescue helicopters were unable to land in some flooded areas. Authorities also warned that another flood could occur because debris remained lodged upstream. Thousands were evacuated in India’s Bihar state as flood alerts spread downstream.
The full scale of this horrific disaster remains unknown, and officials expect the death toll to rise sharply as search crews reach isolated areas.
Let us pray for grieving families, those awaiting word about missing loved ones and everyone who escaped with nothing. May God protect the rescuers, lead them to survivors and bring comfort to all who have been devastated.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
