At least 17 people have died in severe flooding on the border between Nepal and Tibet. Early on the morning of 26 August, the flood began in Rasuwa, north of Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu. It is believed to have been caused by snowmelt on the Bhote Koshi river, the BBC reports.
A search operation is under way. Twelve people have been rescued.
China’s state media, in the country that controls Tibet, reported significant damage.
In the affected region of Nepal, there are power outages. The main road to Kathmandu has been closed to traffic.
“As far as I know, there was no warning. From time to time there were landslides and rockfalls, especially during the rainy season, but this one seems much more serious,” said Yi Liang, a Chinese businessman based in Kathmandu.
The scale of the destruction on the Tibetan side is unclear, but the BBC spoke to Guan Daoxuan in Sichuan province, who said he lost contact with his wife late on Wednesday morning.
Nepal’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority urged people living near riverbanks in high-risk areas to remain alert and take precautionary measures.
“Work has begun to take the necessary measures in coordination with the medical team, scouts and the Red Cross,” Prime Minister Balendra Shah wrote on social media after holding an emergency meeting to assess the situation.
Authorities said 13 police personnel were missing from two posts in Rasuwa district, and dozens of other officers could not be reached.
Last year, a deadly flood in Rasuwa claimed 18 lives after a glacier burst on the Chinese side of the border.