A brutal flash flood struck northern Nepal on Wednesday, near the border with Tibet, leaving a trail of destruction captured in numerous videos.
The images show the force of the water sweeping away vehicles, destroying bridges, and battering homes and infrastructure in its path. The disaster particularly affected the Rasuwa district, where the Bhote Koshi River overflowed following an event that reportedly involved a landslide and an avalanche.
The death toll continues to rise. According to the latest reports, at least 95 people have died in Nepal, while hundreds remain missing.
One of the figures most concerning to authorities involves travelers who were in the area. The Nepal Tourism Board initially reported 384 people as missing, including 291 foreigners. The information is still being verified with travel agencies, authorities, and rescue teams.
Among the missing are citizens of countries such as India, the United Kingdom, the United States, Malaysia, South Africa, and others. Many were traveling to Tibet and Mount Kailash, an important pilgrimage route.
The tragedy also destroyed roads, homes, bridges, and infrastructure projects, complicating rescue efforts. Emergency teams and helicopters were deployed to search for survivors and evacuate trapped people.
Authorities are still investigating exactly what triggered the surge. The hypotheses include a previously recorded earthquake in the region and an avalanche that may have temporarily blocked a river, subsequently causing a huge release of water.
While search operations continue, videos circulating on social media provide a sense of the phenomenon’s force: within minutes, the water turned roads and inhabited areas into raging torrents capable of sweeping everything away in its path.
And authorities fear that the death toll will continue to rise as teams manage to reach the hardest-hit areas.
Watch the clip below: