KATHMANDU, Nepal — At least 31 people have been killed and hundreds remain missing after a massive flash flood swept through villages along the Nepal-China border Wednesday, triggered by an earthquake that set off a landslide blocking a major river before sending a torrent of water crashing downstream.

The death toll, reported by local police in Nepal's Bagmati province, is expected to continue rising as search and rescue operations remain underway. The flood struck near Nepal's border with China's Tibet Autonomous Region, devastating settlements in the Rasuwa district and surrounding areas, with hundreds of people, including foreign nationals from several countries, still unaccounted for.

Nepal's Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal explained the sequence of events that triggered the disaster during a meeting at the House of Representatives. "An earthquake occurred at 8:37 a.m. today, and due to it, a large landslide occurred, blocking the river, which appears to have caused the flood," Khanal said, referring to the Bhote Koshi river. The United States Geological Survey recorded a magnitude 4.4 earthquake in the region at the same time referenced by Khanal.

Dramatic footage captured by security cameras showed the moment floodwater crashed through the Nepal-China border area, with people seen running for safety as the water appeared to wipe out everything in its path. Video released by the Nepali Army showed rescue teams winching stranded residents from rooftops into helicopters, with some of those rescued covered in mud and appearing injured after being battered by the floodwater.

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