Floodwaters swept away villages near the border between Nepal and the Tibet region of China, on Wednesday, leaving at least 160 people dead and hundreds missing across a 40-mile path of destruction. An initial assessment of satellite imagery indicates that a collapsing glacier may have caused the flooding. The death toll is expected to rise.
The images below are screenshots from surveillance footage that circulated on social media and were verified by The New York Times. They show the moment the landslide ripped through Gyirong Port, a small town at the border between China and Nepal.
In the footage, people are seen trying to escape the area, and then a massive wave of mud and a thick cloud of debris engulf a parking structure and adjoining buildings. Within seconds, the building collapsed and at least a dozen vehicles were buried in mud.
The mudslide continued downstream for at least 45 miles along the Trishuli River, destroying buildings and bridges and flooding surrounding areas. The map below shows the path of destruction, from Gyirong Port deep into Nepal.
Satellite imagery captured on Wednesday shows flood damage about 25 miles southwest of Gyirong Port.
The force of the landslide caused a seismic signal that registered a magnitude of 5.2, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.