(VIDEO) Death Toll Rises to 31 as Massive Flash Flood Devastates Nepal-China Border, Hundreds Still Missing

KATHMANDU, Nepal — At least 31 people have been killed and hundreds remain missing after a massive flash flood swept through villages along the Nepal-China border Wednesday, triggered by an earthquake that set off a landslide blocking a major river before sending a torrent of water crashing downstream.

The death toll, reported by local police in Nepal’s Bagmati province, is expected to continue rising as search and rescue operations remain underway. The flood struck near Nepal’s border with China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, devastating settlements in the Rasuwa district and surrounding areas, with hundreds of people, including foreign nationals from several countries, still unaccounted for.

Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal explained the sequence of events that triggered the disaster during a meeting at the House of Representatives. “An earthquake occurred at 8:37 a.m. today, and due to it, a large landslide occurred, blocking the river, which appears to have caused the flood,” Khanal said, referring to the Bhote Koshi river. The United States Geological Survey recorded a magnitude 4.4 earthquake in the region at the same time referenced by Khanal.

Dramatic footage captured by security cameras showed the moment floodwater crashed through the Nepal-China border area, with people seen running for safety as the water appeared to wipe out everything in its path. Video released by the Nepali Army showed rescue teams winching stranded residents from rooftops into helicopters, with some of those rescued covered in mud and appearing injured after being battered by the floodwater.

Among those still missing are 60 employees of an under-construction hydropower project in northern Nepal, according to Nepali state media. The workers were employed at the 20-megawatt Langtang Khola Hydroelectric Project in Rasuwa municipality, near the Chinese border. According to Nepal’s RSS national news agency, “the project was carrying out concrete construction work inside a tunnel” at the time of the disaster, adding that “the flood caused severe damage to the project.” Rasuwa municipality is home to several hydropower projects built to harness the region’s fast-flowing rivers.

The disaster has also struck heavily across the border in Tibet, where Chinese state media has warned of “major casualties,” though no official casualty figures for the Chinese side had been released as of Wednesday morning. A mudslide hit China’s Gyirong port, prompting Chinese leader Xi Jinping to call for “all-out” search and rescue efforts.

Gyirong port ranks among the most significant land border crossings between China and Nepal, developed as a major trade hub and viewed by Beijing as an important node within its broader Belt and Road global connectivity initiative. The border checkpoint sits more than 1,800 meters above sea level and typically handles hundreds of millions of dollars in annual two-way trade, accounting for nearly a third of total China-Nepal trade volume in 2024, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua. The crossing has faced natural disasters before; floods swept away the bridge connecting the port to Nepal’s Rasuwa Port in July 2025, suspending goods trade there for roughly six months, and the port was also closed for months following a devastating 2015 earthquake. Authorities announced Wednesday that roads leading to the port would be closed to non-emergency vehicles for seven days, according to state media, while local reports indicated communications and power outages continuing in the area.

International reaction to the disaster began arriving quickly Wednesday. The U.S. Embassy in Nepal said it was “deeply saddened” by the loss of life. “We extend our sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives, and our thoughts are with all those affected by this disaster,” the embassy posted on social media, while urging American citizens in the affected Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha, Chitwan and Tanahun districts to stay away from riverbanks and low-lying areas, seek higher ground, and follow local instructions.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung ordered an “all-out” rescue effort in response to the disaster, according to his spokesperson, directing the South Korean government to prioritize the safety of Korean nationals while cooperating with Nepalese authorities. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed solidarity with Nepal in a social media post, saying the people of India stand with their “sisters and brothers in Nepal at this difficult time” and confirming India was prepared to provide “all possible humanitarian assistance.”

The Red Cross has deployed an emergency response team with relief supplies to the affected areas. The organization’s regional office for Asia-Pacific said it had “activated emergency response teams, mobilised volunteers and is deploying an emergency team with relief supplies,” while urging affected communities to “stay alert and follow official safety instructions.” The International Federation of Red Cross said it stood ready to support the broader response effort.

The disaster presents an early and significant test for Nepal’s relatively new government. Prime Minister Balen Shah, 36, a former rapper who took office in March following a youth-led movement against corruption and nepotism that swept aside Nepal’s establishment political parties, had not yet publicly commented on the floods as of Wednesday morning. Shah campaigned on promises to reform national politics and expand opportunity for young Nepalis in a country that relies on remittances from migrant workers for roughly a quarter of its gross domestic product. The disaster will likely require Shah to coordinate closely with both India, Nepal’s larger southern neighbor, and China to its north, a relationship that has at times proven complicated; as Kathmandu’s mayor in 2023, Shah previously canceled a scheduled trip to China after Beijing released an updated map that did not reflect Nepal’s own 2020 political boundaries covering certain disputed Himalayan territories.

With hundreds still missing and search and rescue operations continuing on both sides of the border, officials in both Nepal and China have cautioned that the full death toll from the disaster remains unknown and is likely to climb further as recovery teams reach areas cut off by damaged infrastructure, power outages and disrupted communications in the affected mountainous border region.