A towering surge of muddy water roared through the Himalayan border crossing at Gyirong Port on Wednesday, engulfing buildings as deadly flash floods devastated communities across northern Nepal and Tibet. At least eight people were killed and hundreds were reported missing after an avalanche of ice and rock blocked a river and unleashed a sudden surge downstream, according to officials and climate experts cited by The . The flooding destroyed villages, roads and hydropower projects in Nepal’s Rasuwa district before striking the Chinese side of the border, cutting power and communications as rescue operations got underway.
Officials said 384 tourists were reported missing, including 291 foreign nationals from countries including India, the United States, the United Kingdom and Malaysia. Nepal asked neighboring India and China to assist with rescue efforts as authorities worked to reach the affected areas. Rasuwa district experienced similar flooding in August 2025, when a glacial lake in neighboring Tibet overflowed amid high temperatures in the mountain region.
Nine people were killed and critical infrastructure, including a bridge connecting Nepal and China, was damaged. Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered “all-out efforts” to find people missing after the mudslide caused casualties at Gyirong Port, according to China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency. Xi called for residents at risk to be evacuated and injured people to receive timely medical treatment.
He also instructed officials to strengthen monitoring and early-warning systems, conduct rescue operations carefully and guard against secondary disasters. Chinese Premier Li Qiang ordered authorities to verify the number of missing and affected people and directed the Foreign Ministry to coordinate with other countries and share information. Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing traveled to the affected area to oversee rescue and disaster-response operations, Xinhua reported.
A total of 145 officers and soldiers from the Xigaze detachment of the People’s Armed Police were dispatched to Gyirong Port, according to the state-run Global Times, which cited the force’s Xizang Corps. The outlet reported that drone footage showed buildings at the port buried by debris. China’s Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Emergency Management allocated 120 million yuan, about $17.9 million, to support rescue and relief operations following the disaster, state broadcaster CGTN reported.
This article contains reporting by The
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