Nepal floods kill 8, cause 'major casualties' in Tibet border mudslide

Eight people died in Nepal on Wednesday as massive flooding swept through the country, with hundreds reported missing. Chinese state media reported "major casualties" from a mudslide on the Tibetan side of the shared border.

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So far, eight bodies have been found. Rescue operations are underway.

Nepali police spokesman Abi Narayan Kafle told AFP that eight bodies had been found so far, with rescue operations ongoing. The flash flood swept away houses, and images shared by police showed floodwaters surging through rivers. Suman Chalise, a 34-year-old teacher in Nuwakot district, described the scene as "absolutely heart-wrenching," witnessing trucks, houses, and people being washed away.

Authorities alerted people living near the riverside to relocate. The Nepal Army deployed helicopters and disaster response personnel. The Nepal Electricity Authority reported that about 430 megawatts of production capacity from hydropower and solar facilities were damaged, disrupting electricity supply.

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I witnessed the flood sweep away eight or nine trucks, along with houses and people.

A preliminary assessment by Sarthak Shrestha, an analyst at the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, indicated no anomalies on the Chinese side of the border. He suggested a rock-ice avalanche in Nepal blocked the Lhende River, triggering the flood event.

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It was absolutely heart-wrenching. I had not witnessed such devastation before.

Several highways were closed due to the disaster. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported the mudslide disaster at Gyirong Port in Tibet resulted in significant casualties and missing persons. Chinese President Xi Jinping urged for immediate relief efforts.

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The disaster has damaged the production, transmission and distribution facilities of the Authority ... resulting in disruption of electricity supply.