At least 17 people have been killed after a major flash flood and mudslide along the Nepal-Tibet border. Police report that villages have been washed away and roads and infrastructure damaged.
The flood struck early on Wednesday in Rasuwa, an area north of Nepal's capital Kathmandu. It was reportedly caused by excessive snow melting into the Bhote Koshi river.
Search operations are currently underway on both sides of the border between Tibet and Nepal, and 12 people have been rescued. State media in China, which controls Tibet, have reported significant casualties, while Nepalese officials anticipate "huge scale loss."
Several areas downstream of the Bhote Koshi river are on high alert, with disruptions to roads, communications, and power in the region. The main road to Kathmandu is closed.
Nepal's disaster management authority has urged people living near river banks in vulnerable areas to remain alert and take precautions. Prime Minister Balendra Shah stated on social media that work has begun to take necessary steps in coordination with medical teams, scouts, and the Red Cross, following an emergency meeting.
Authorities have reported that 13 officers from the armed police force are missing from two posts in Rasuwa district, and contact has been lost with dozens of other police officers. Officials believe the scale of Wednesday's disaster exceeds last year's floods in Rasuwa, which killed 18 people.