The death toll from a devastating flash flood on the Nepal-China border climbed to 97 as at least 384 tourists and travelers, as well as soldiers and police, were reported missing Wednesday in Nepal after flash floods and mudslides near the Chinese border, according to officials.
Shailendra Thapa, a spokesperson for the Armed Police, said rescuers have recovered 97 dead bodies while 54 people were rescued from the flood-affected area.
Earlier, briefing parliament on the disaster, Nepalese Foreign Minister Sishir Khanal said officials, soldiers and police were among the missing after flash floods swept away their barracks.
The Nepal Tourism Board said separately that it recorded 384 missing people.
Authorities "are working to verify the whereabouts and safety status of the tourists and travelers who were in or traveling through the affected areas," said the board.
Khanal said 29 police officers and 44 soldiers were also missing after the floods swept away their barracks in Rasuwa district.
At least 19 bridges have been swept away, and 40 kilometers (25 miles) of road were damaged, along with 13 hydropower projects, according to government estimates.
About 200 trucks were also swept away.
Khanal said an earthquake struck the border area Wednesday, triggering an avalanche that "eventually caused the collapse of glacial lakes in the Tibet region of China."
Beijing identifies the region as the Xizang Autonomous Region.
"Due to the flood, a large number of hydropower projects, government offices and road facilities were erased," said Khanal.
A magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck Kodari village in Nepal, which borders Tibet in China, at 8.37 am local time (0252GMT), according to the US Geological Survey.
Massive search and rescue operations were launched on both sides of the border.
Those reported missing include people from Nepal, India, the UK, South Africa, Australia and the Netherlands, while the nationalities of many others have yet to be confirmed.
Eight South Korean nationals were "unaccounted for," while 10 others were stranded following the floods in Nepal, Seoul-based Yonhap News reported, citing the South Korean Foreign Ministry.
Khanal said the floods caused widespread destruction in the Rasuwa, Dhading and Chitwan districts.
"Equipped with helicopters, drones and rafting boards, rescuers from all state forces--Nepal Police, Armed Police and Nepal Army--were deployed to the flood-hit area," said Khanal.
China's state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that a mudslide struck near the Gyirong Port, a major land port connecting the two countries, in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region.
"The disaster has cut off roads leading to the port on the Chinese side, as well as communications and power supplies," Xinhua reported, citing the emergency management bureau of Gyirong County in Xigaze City.
Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered "all-out efforts" to search for and rescue people.
Xi also ordered efforts to "evacuate residents at risk and provide timely medical treatment to the injured to minimize casualties."
"Authorities in Xizang have mobilized forces to carry out search and rescue operations. All relevant operations are underway," Xinhua reported.
It remains unclear how many people were affected on the Chinese side of the border.
In Kathmandu, government-run hospitals and medical facilities operated by security agencies were cleared to accommodate those injured.
Tourists travel to the Rasuwagadhi area to trek in the Langtang region, one of Nepal's most popular trekking destinations.
Other travelers pass through Rasuwagadhi en route to Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar in China.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he spoke to his Nepalese counterpart, Balendra Shah, and conveyed condolences for the loss of lives.
Modi, with a post on US social media company X, also said India is ready to provide all humanitarian assistance to Nepal. "Our teams are coordinating closely on rescue and relief efforts," he said.
Chief Minister of eastern Bihar state, Samrat Choudhary, said on X that instructions have been given to "ensure round-the-clock monitoring of embankments, night patrolling, and necessary preparations in sensitive districts," in view of Nepal floods.
People living in low-lying areas have been urged to move to safer places at the earliest, public broadcaster All India Radio reported.
Meanwhile, the initial assessment provides a possible explanation for the sudden surge that caused widespread destruction along the Lhende and Bhotekoshi rivers.
An analysis of Planet Labs satellite imagery indicates that a snow-and-rock landslide near the Nepal-China border triggered a debris-laden flood in the Lhende River, although authorities continue to assess the disaster and its full effect, according to Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA).
