AFP

KATHMANDU A RIVER near one of Nepal’s most popular Himalayan resorts killed 13 people and left 17 missing including three Russian tourists when it burst its banks and swept away a village on Saturday.

Most of the dead appeared to be locals, said conservationist Bishnu Paudel, who described how terrified people had fled to the hills to escape the sudden deluge.

Fast-flowing floodwaters from the swollen Seti River smashed into two buildings and a number of shacks in Kharapani village, in the shadow of Mount Annapurna, one of Nepal’s most popular tourist destinations.

“There are 13 dead and 17 missing, including three Russian tourists. The missing include two young students who were in a group of 16 on an outing,” said Ramindra Chhetri, a spokesman for the Nepalese Army.

“Two army helicopters and a private airliner have been deployed to the area. We have army rescue teams scouring five villages for survivors.” Paudel, of Annapurna Conservation Area Project, who reached the devastated site a few hours after the flood hit, said: “Most of the victims were shopkeepers in Kharapani, on the banks of the Seti River.