According to foreign news agencies, the disaster occurred on Wednesday after mud and rocks fell into a river, triggering powerful floodwaters that swept through the border area. Videos from the affected region showed people desperately running for safety as a massive surge of mud, rocks and water engulfed buildings, vehicles and people.
Authorities in both Nepal and China have warned that the death toll could rise further as rescue teams continue operations in the devastated areas.
In Nepal, several houses, roads and power infrastructure were washed away by the floodwaters. On the Chinese side, authorities reported extensive damage in Gyirong County after a landslide struck near the border crossing.
According to Chinese state media, the landslide occurred on the Nepal side of the border and severely affected Gyirong Port, damaging roads, communication networks and electricity installations in the surrounding area.
Nepal’s tourism authorities said at least 384 tourists were reported missing in the affected region. The missing included 105 Indian nationals, 93 Nepali nationals, 12 British citizens and three Americans.
A separate report by South Korean news agency Yonhap said that eight South Korean nationals were also missing following the disaster.
Nepali police confirmed that 157 bodies had so far been recovered from the flood-hit areas, while rescue operations were continuing amid difficult conditions.
Security footage recorded on the Chinese side of the Nepal-Tibet border showed people fleeing moments before a huge torrent of rocks, mud and water swept through the area. The powerful surge rapidly engulfed buildings, vehicles and several people in its path.
According to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, authorities have deployed at least 574 rescue workers at the Gyirong land crossing to assist with emergency operations.
One rescue worker said that roads leading to the affected area were covered by a layer of mud and debris around five feet thick, making access extremely difficult. Rescue teams are reportedly taking at least four hours to reach some parts of the disaster zone.
Meanwhile, India has also issued a flood alert for the northern states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar following the situation in Nepal, as several rivers originating in the mountainous region flow towards the Indian plains.
Rescue and relief operations are continuing on both sides of the border as authorities assess the full scale of the destruction and search for missing people.