At least 165 people have been killed after a catastrophic flash flood tore through the Himalayan region along the border between Nepal and Tibet. Hundreds remain missing, with the latest estimates suggesting the number of people still unaccounted for could be close to 1,500. Four Spanish nationals are among those whose whereabouts remain unknown, as rescue teams battle treacherous conditions in the search for survivors.
Spain Expat Press Editorial Team
The scale of the disaster unfolding in the Himalayas is only gradually becoming clear. Entire communities have been struck by torrents of water, mud and debris, with homes swept away, roads destroyed and bridges left impassable.
Some of the worst damage has been reported along the border between Nepal and Chinese-controlled Tibet. In Nepal, rescue efforts are focused in part on areas surrounding the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river systems.
According to the latest international reports, at least 165 people have been confirmed dead. Large numbers remain missing on both sides of the border, with Reuters reporting that close to 1,500 people have yet to be accounted for. Many are believed to be foreign tourists.
Four Spanish nationals remain unaccounted for
Spain has now also been directly affected by the disaster.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares confirmed on Thursday morning that four Spanish nationals remain unaccounted for.
There have, however, been no confirmed Spanish fatalities.
Spain’s Foreign Ministry, together with its diplomatic and consular representatives in the region, is working to locate the missing nationals and establish contact with other Spaniards who may have been travelling through the affected areas.
The figures have changed repeatedly since the disaster began. As recently as Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry said it had no information indicating that any Spanish citizens were missing. That number has since officially risen to four.
Foreign tourists among the missing
Of particular concern is the large number of international travellers who remain unreachable.
The Himalayan region attracts tourists, trekkers and pilgrims from across the world. Many had been travelling towards Mount Kailash in Tibet, a site of profound religious significance, particularly for Hindus and Buddhists.
Those reported missing include nationals from India, the United States, Britain, Australia and Canada, as well as several other countries.
The overall figure could, however, change substantially in the coming hours. Telephone networks and electricity supplies have been disrupted across large areas, meaning that somebody currently listed as missing has not necessarily been caught in the flood.
A wall of water through the valleys
Eyewitness accounts and footage emerging from the region give some indication of the extraordinary force of the disaster.
Within a matter of minutes, huge volumes of water, mud and debris surged through narrow Himalayan valleys. Houses and vehicles were swept away, roads disappeared beneath the torrent and numerous communities were cut off from the outside world.
Along the Trishuli, the water level is reported to have risen by as much as nine metres in around 30 minutes.
Helicopters are being deployed to evacuate people from areas that cannot be reached by road and to deliver emergency supplies. But destroyed infrastructure, deep mud and continuing hazardous conditions are severely hampering efforts to find those still missing.
Not an earthquake, but apparently a glacier collapse
There was initially considerable confusion over what had triggered the catastrophe.
A seismic event recorded in the region on Wednesday was first interpreted as an earthquake. The US Geological Survey later concluded, however, that the signal appeared to have been caused not by a conventional earthquake but by a massive glacier collapse or an associated movement of rock and debris.
Such an event may have released enormous quantities of ice, rock and water, which then surged through the valleys towards Nepal.
The precise sequence of events is still being investigated, however, and experts have cautioned against drawing definitive conclusions about the exact cause at this stage.
One of the region’s most serious natural disasters
International assistance is now beginning to arrive.
The United States has announced $500,000 in emergency aid, while the United Nations and international relief organisations are supporting rescue operations. The European Union has also activated its Copernicus satellite system to map the affected areas and provide emergency services with up-to-date information on the extent of the destruction.
Yet some of the worst-hit areas remain extremely difficult to reach.
Authorities therefore expect it could take several days before the true scale of the disaster becomes clear.
For hundreds of families, meanwhile, an agonising wait for news of missing relatives has begun.
Among them are now families in Spain.
Four Spanish nationals remain unaccounted for.
