Devastating CCTV footage from China-Nepal border
Nepal’s Tourism Board said 384 travellers were initially reported missing, including 291 foreign nationals; at least 105 Indians were among those unaccounted for.
A landslide struck the China-Nepal border in Tibet’s Gyirong county on Wednesday, leading to “major casualties” and leaving several people missing at the Gyirong Port, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua. The destruction cut roads leading to the port and knocked out power and communications on the Chinese side, while authorities warned of “major casualties” and missing people. Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered an “all-out” search and rescue operation.
Across the border in Nepal, the flash floods destroyed villages, roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure. The landslide also disrupted a strategically important trade corridor between China and Nepal. China allows trade and transit through six border points with Nepal, five of them in Shigatse, while the two countries have been pursuing a wider Trans-Himalayan connectivity network under China’s Belt and Road Initiative.