Nuwakot: A catastrophic flood and landslide along the Nepal-Tibet border killed at least 160 people on Wednesday, with hundreds more reported missing as rescue teams searched devastated settlements on both sides of the frontier.

Nepal police said 157 bodies had been recovered following the disaster, which swept through communities near the border and left widespread destruction. Many people remained unaccounted for, including foreign tourists who were in the region when the flooding struck.

Aid workers described entire settlements as having been “wiped out” by the force of the floodwaters and debris.

Surveillance footage verified by AFP showed dozens of people running for safety as a towering surge of mud and debris swept through the Chinese side of the border area, tossing trucks and buses aside.

Chinese state media reported major casualties after a mudslide struck a border hub in Tibet, with at least three people confirmed dead and 265 reported missing.

The combined confirmed death toll on the two sides stood at at least 160.

Nepalese authorities deployed police and rescue teams to affected areas, while officers worked to evacuate families living in locations considered at risk of further flooding and landslides.

The scale of the destruction and the large number of people still missing raised fears that the death toll could rise further as rescue and recovery operations continued.