Nepal: At least 17 dead in floods, fears for the lives of hundreds missing - including Israelis

Flash floods on the Nepal-Tibet border have led to the deaths of at least eight people, authorities in the country announced today (Wednesday). There are grave fears for the lives of at least 400 missing tourists after entire villages were washed away in the severe event. Among the missing tourists are Israelis.

Rescue forces have managed to rescue 12 people from the floods so far, and rescue efforts are continuing at all times. Official sources in Nepal anticipate "an enormous scale of casualties."

Nepal's Foreign Minister claims that an earthquake led to the flood disaster.

"There was no warning. There have been several avalanches and mudslides and a lot of rain recently, but this event seems unusual," Li Liang, a Chinese businessman living in Kathmandu, told the BBC.

Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah held an emergency meeting following the heavy disaster. "We have started coordination with rescue forces, rangers, and the Red Cross," he wrote on social media.

In Tibet, they are also dealing with severe damage from the flood disaster. Although the landslide occurred on the Nepalese side, it caused heavy damage and many casualties and missing persons also in the Gyirong port in Tibet, which serves as a major trade center on the border. Official sources in China's state media confirmed the disaster in the border area, but refrained at this stage from providing exact numbers regarding the extent of the wounded or dead on their side.

Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered rescue and relief operations in the border area. Rescue forces are working to reach the missing and provide urgent assistance in the affected areas.

Last year, a similar flood disaster occurred in the area, which claimed the lives of 18 people. Official sources told the BBC that they estimate the scale of the current event will exceed the scale of last year's disaster.