Nepal flash flooding sparks fears for missing Australians as death toll passes 160

By China correspondent Allyson Horn, Claire Campbell and Girish Sawlani

In short:

(ABC-Australia) More than 160 people have died after a flash flood hit the Tibet-Nepal border.

Hundreds of tourists and hikers have been reported missing, with dozens of Australians among them.

What’s next?

Rescue efforts are ongoing, and Foreign Minister Penny Wong says the government is “urgently” seeking to confirm the welfare and whereabouts of missing Australians.

More than 160 people have died, and hundreds of tourists and hikers are missing after a flash flood hit the Tibet-Nepal border.

The torrent of water swept through the Himalayan border region on Wednesday morning, local time, killing at least 162 people in Nepal and three in Tibet, according to local authorities and reports.

Officials at Nepal’s tourism ministry said 579 tourists were missing, more than 400 of whom were foreigners.

China’s state broadcaster CCTV reported 558 were missing in the Tibet region’s Gyirong county near the border, while state news agency Xinhua reported significant casualties.

It was not immediately clear if the figures from Nepal and China overlapped.

Twenty-two Australians from three different hiking tours in Nepal were among those missing.

One Australian is missing from a group travelling with Kathmandu Holiday Tours and Travels, the company confirmed this afternoon.

Another six Australians were travelling with Kailash Journeys, a company based in Kathmandu.

A third group of 15 were travelling with US-based tour company Himalayan Glacier Adventures.

This morning, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed 34 Australians were missing.

Mr Albanese said getting information out of Nepal had been challenging.

“Nepal is a developing country. It doesn’t have the resources that an event like that would have in Australia. So information is difficult,” he said.

“Our thoughts are with all those who will be concerned about their loved ones today.”

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said she had spoken to Australia’s ambassadors to China and Nepal to convey the government’s support.

“The government’s priority is to confirm the whereabouts and welfare of these Australians,” Senator Wong said.

“We are currently deploying further DFAT personnel, including crisis response experts, to the region.”

Sunil Sharma, a Nepal tourism board spokesperson, told The Toronto Star that 133 missing tourists were from India on a pilgrimage.

He also said 47 of the missing tourists were from the United States, 33 from Britain and 24 from Canada.

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said Australians in the affected area should follow the advice of local authorities.

“We are aware of a number of Australians in the area and Australian officials are urgently working to confirm their welfare. We are liaising with local authorities as well as tour operators,” the spokesperson said.

“We stand ready to provide consular assistance.”

Nepal tourism board officials said the flood hit near a popular route to Kailash Manasarovar in Tibet, a site visited annually at this time by hundreds of Hindu pilgrims, and near Langtang National Park, a popular hiking destination.

At least 28 local police officers were also unaccounted-for, according to Nepal’s tourism ministry, while South Korean authorities said eight of its citizens who were working on a hydropower plant were missing.

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Glacier melt believed to have triggered flood

Security footage captured on the Chinese side of the Nepal-Tibet border showed many people fleeing before a torrent of rock, mud and water destroyed homes, buildings and vehicles.

Broadcast images of the flash flood also showed a metal bridge being washed away and, later, buildings submerged in mud.

Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal initially told parliament an earthquake had caused an avalanche that triggered the flood along the Bhote Koshi river in Rasuwa.

But now climate experts at the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development believe a glacier avalanche likely caused the flood.

The group said river water levels rose by up to 9 metres in half an hour at the height of the flood.

“Hydrological observations indicate the exceptional speed and magnitude of the flood wave,” they said in a statement.

Nepal’s disaster authority said that satellite data indicated that a “snow-rock landslide” on the Nepal-China border may have caused the flood.

‘All-out’ rescue operation underway

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged “all-out” search efforts for the missing as well as stronger monitoring and early warning systems to prevent secondary disasters.

Chinese state media said access to the area was cut off and communication channels were down.

Devendra Subedi, the senior editor at Nepal Television, told ABC’s The World the flood came from nowhere.

“It was sunny weather … all of a sudden with a massive roar, there’s a river flooding and washing away some of the settlements,” he said.

He said “almost everything has been washed away” in up to five districts and it had been hard to get exact information about what had happened.

“The damage has been so unprecedented, it can take a few days to come up with the exact details,” he told the ABC.

“The government has mobilised all its mechanisms, including Nepal’s army and private choppers.

“The worst part is the communication has been difficult because most of the lines have just been washed away by the floods.”

Mr Subedi said people were being rescued every hour, with many survivors being brought to local hospitals for treatment.

“Entire villages and market areas have been wiped out,” David Fisher, the Nepal head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said.

Australia urges tourists to follow local safety advice

The Australian Embassy in Nepal has issued a joint statement with other nations, including the UK, encouraging its citizens in the affected areas to follow guidance and safety advice of local authorities.

“Our thoughts are with all those affected by this disaster,” it said.

“We express our solidarity with the people of Nepal during this difficult time.”

The UK’s Foreign Office said it was “deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastation” while the US State Department said it was aware of Americans impacted by the floods in Nepal and was closely tracking the situation.

“The Embassy is working closely with local tour agencies and local authorities to assist Americans in the affected areas,” a spokesperson said.

India begins evacuations as authorities warn of another flood

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has offered “humanitarian assistance” with the rescue and recovery after speaking with Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah.

Authorities in India’s Bihar state have begun evacuating up to 12,000 people from six districts fearing floods in that region.

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development has warned a second flood may also be imminent.

“With a blockage still lodged upstream on the Nepal-China border river, authorities warn a second flood may occur,” Qianggong Zhang, the centre’s head of climate and environmental risks, told AFP.

The Nepal Electricity Authority said about 430 megawatts of production capacity, including from hydropower and solar facilities, had also been damaged in the flood.

“The disaster has damaged the production, transmission and distribution facilities of the Authority … resulting in disruption of electricity supply,” it said.

Major highways and roads have also been closed in both Nepal and Tibet.

Traffic authorities in Tibet’s Shigatse said roads in the area were “at risk of mudslides and unsafe for passage”.

Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah urged people to “be patient” and “stand together”.

“I want to assure you that you are not alone in this difficult time — the state is with you with all its means and resources,” he said in a statement.

“The government takes full responsibility for your rescue, treatment, food and shelter.”