VIDEO: Nepal flood leaves families waiting for answers as rescue teams search for missing tourists

• At least 19 people have died after severe flooding and mudslides hit Nepal near the Tibet border.

• More than 380 tourists, including 291 foreigners, are missing after the disaster.

• Rescue teams from Nepal and China are searching for survivors as fears grow over another possible flood.

• Experts believe a rock-ice avalanche blocked a river and triggered the deadly flood.

A flood disaster has hit Nepal near the China-Tibet border, leaving at least 19 people dead and hundreds of tourists missing after a massive wave of mud, water and debris swept through the area on Wednesday.

The disaster happened after a river between Nepal and China burst its banks, sending a dangerous mix of floodwater and mud crashing through communities, destroying buildings and forcing rescue teams into an urgent search for survivors.

According to Nepal authorities, 384 tourists were still unaccounted for more than eight hours after the flooding started. The missing tourists include 291 foreigners, with Americans, Indians, Australians, Malaysians and Britons among those affected.

The flooding also affected the Gyirong Port, a major border trading area on China’s side of Tibet. Chinese state media reported “major casualties” from a mudslide in the area, while President Xi Jinping ordered emergency teams to launch an “all-out” rescue operation.

For some families, the disaster has already turned into a painful wait for news.

“I got a call from (my brother-in-law) this morning, and they were crying and said their entire house had been swept away. Three family members were rescued, but his brother is still missing,” said 56-year-old Raju Bhadel.

Videos and images shared by Nepal police showed strong floodwaters rushing through rivers and carrying away houses, while some buildings were left buried under thick layers of mud.

A police spokesman said authorities were still trying to understand the full scale of the destruction but had warned people living close to rivers to move to safer areas.

The Nepal Army has deployed helicopters and disaster response teams to support rescue efforts, while several highways have been closed because of the danger of more landslides.

The Nepal Electricity Authority also confirmed that about 430 megawatts of electricity production capacity, including hydropower and solar facilities, had been damaged.

“The disaster has damaged the production, transmission and distribution facilities of the authority… resulting in disruption of electricity supply,” the agency said.

Experts believe the flooding may have been caused by a rock and ice avalanche that blocked the Lhende River before the water eventually broke through with force.

Sarthak Shrestha, a remote sensing and geo-information analyst at the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), said preliminary findings suggested “no anomalies” from China’s side of the border.

“We believe a rock-ice avalanche occurred in Nepal, blocking the Lhende river and causing the cascading flood event,” he said.

Authorities are still worried that another flood could happen because a blockage remains upstream along the Nepal-China border river.

“With a blockage still lodged upstream on the Nepal-China border river, authorities warn a second flood may occur,” said Qianggong Zhang, head of climate and environmental risks at ICIMOD.

China’s traffic authorities in Tibet’s Shigatse region have also warned that roads in the area are unsafe because of possible mudslides.

The region is already known for deadly floods and landslides during South Asia’s monsoon season, which usually runs from June to September. Scientists have warned that climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events across the region.

In July last year, 17 people were reported missing after another mudslide near the Gyirong Port area.