Nepal Faces Another Tragedy as Hundreds of Tourists Go Missing in Floods

Nepal, which had only recently rebuilt its towns and villages after a devastating earthquake, is facing another catastrophe. On August 26, a powerful torrent of water, ice, rocks and mud swept through communities along the Nepal–Tibet border. The flooding destroyed homes, roads, bridges and energy infrastructure, leaving several mountain regions cut off from the outside world.

According to preliminary official figures, hundreds of people had died in Nepal and Chinese-administered Tibet by August 27, while more than a thousand remained unaccounted for. The missing include local residents, workers, security personnel, pilgrims and tourists from more than 30 countries. In Nepal alone, the whereabouts of more than 500 foreign nationals remained unknown. Citizens of India, the United States, Malaysia, Ukraine, Britain, Australia and many other countries were listed as missing. Nepalese tourism officials said approximately 25 Canadians were among them. The figures continue to change as communications are restored in isolated areas. 

Many of the foreign visitors were travelling along the popular mountain route between Kathmandu and Lhasa or making a pilgrimage to sacred Mount Kailash. This has turned a regional natural disaster into an international tragedy.

The catastrophe was initially believed to have been caused by an earthquake. Experts later concluded that the seismic signal had been produced by the collapse of an enormous mass of ice and rock. The avalanche created a fast-moving debris flow that raced through river valleys, leaving residents and visitors almost no time to evacuate. Scientists say a warming climate is making high-altitude glaciers increasingly unstable and raising the risk of similar disasters across the Himalayas. Associated Press

Search-and-rescue operations are continuing. With roads and bridges destroyed, the military and emergency services must rely heavily on helicopters. Authorities are also monitoring newly formed mountain lakes amid fears that additional flooding could occur.

For the author of these lines, the disaster feels particularly personal. I visited Nepal several years ago and still remember its remarkable landscapes, mountain roads, small settlements and the people who welcomed travellers with sincere warmth.

I arrived about a year after the devastating magnitude-7.8 earthquake of 2015, which claimed almost 9,000 lives. Ruined buildings, damaged temples and broken homes could still be seen everywhere. Yet only a few years later, Nepal’s hardworking people had constructed new houses, restored streets and gradually healed the country’s wounds.

And now, once again, there is a new catastrophe, new losses and new destruction.

Nepal faces another long and difficult recovery. Nevertheless, I am certain that the courage, patience and hard work of the Nepalese people will help the country overcome this ordeal as well. Within a few years, homes and bridges will rise again, roads will reopen, and travellers will return to the beautiful Himalayan valleys.

Author: Yuri Natchetoi