“The whole thing happened in five minutes,” a Greek resident of Nepal said, describing the sudden wall of water that swept through Himalayan villages as flash floods and landslides killed at least 98 people and left hundreds missing.
Dimitris Giannopoulos, who lives in Pokhara, said a torrent carrying millions of tons of water and debris tore through villages, towns, bridges, schools and other infrastructure near Nepal’s border with Tibet.
“A rock broke away from a glacier, leaving behind an entire lake that emptied,” Mr. Giannopoulos told Greek television. “Millions of tons of water came down and swept away everything in their path.”
Mr. Giannopoulos said local residents were speaking of a death toll that could reach thousands, though officials had confirmed 98 deaths.
He added that Greek consular authorities had told him no Greek citizen was among those reported missing.
At least 403 people, including 341 foreign nationals, remained unaccounted for, according to Nepalese authorities.
Most of the missing were believed to be Indian, while tourists from several other countries were also affected.The floods struck Wednesday in a river valley near the Nepal-Tibet frontier, sweeping away buildings, vehicles and bridges and cutting off isolated communities.
Authorities were investigating whether a landslide or glacial lake outburst triggered the surge.
David Fisher, head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ Nepal office, said entire villages had been “wiped off the map.”
The IFRC released about 1 million Swiss francs in emergency funds and sent drinking water, blankets, first-aid kits, stretchers and body bags.
The European Union activated its Copernicus satellite system, while the World Health Organization sent medical supplies. India delivered 10 tons of aid and offered aircraft and helicopters for rescue operations.
Bangladesh also offered assistance.
Rescue teams faced destroyed roads, collapsed bridges and continuing river surges as they worked to reach isolated communities.
Authorities warned that the death toll could rise as the scale of the disaster becomes clearer.