Nepal has sought China's assistance to rebuild the Syaphrubesi-Rasuwagadhi road, a key trade route with its northern neighbour, after flash floods caused severe damage. The flash floods, triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, devastated towns and villages in northern and central Nepal. They killed nearly 1,400 people and left more than 5,000 missing. The roughly 16-km road linking Syaphrubesi with the Rasuwagadhi border crossing was being upgraded under an NRs 6.5-billion Chinese-funded project when the floods swept away large sections. The flooding also severely damaged the border crossing and cut a major trade link between the two countries.