Following one of the greatest tragedies in recent memory, Nepal's flash flood death toll increased to 177 on Thursday as rescue workers looked for hundreds of missing persons, including over 300 Indian tourists. According to authorities, the floods, which started on Wednesday, left thousands of people missing and caused extensive damage in central Nepal.
An avalanche that blocked the Lhende tributary of the Bhotekoshi river close to Nepal's border with China caused the floods, with the initial effects being noted in Timure near Rasuwagadhi. The extent of the devastation, according to officials and disaster experts, might make it one of Nepal's deadliest since the 1993 floods that claimed 1,400 lives.
Twelve more bodies were found, according to Nepal Police, bringing the total number of fatalities from the Bhotekoshi River floods to 177. Authorities reported two deaths in Rasuwa, twelve in Nuwakot, twenty-seven in Dhading, 69 in Chitwan, twenty in Gorkha, nine in Tanahu, thirty-two in Nawalparasi East, and six in Nawalparasi West, bringing the total to 165. As water levels increased, several municipalities were put on high alert, including Chitwan, a popular tourist destination for jungle safaris.
According to Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal, thousands of tourists are reportedly missing due to the floods, including about 300 Indian visitors. Additionally, he revealed that thousands of people were still missing following the catastrophe in the Rasuwa district, and over 160 people had died. "As of right now, many of families are missing and have lost their houses. We're still working to determine the complete scope of the catastrophe," Khanal stated.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority reported that 826 individuals were unaccounted for. According to the authorities, 13 members of the Armed Police Force, 28 members of the Nepal Police, and 44 members of the Nepal Army had lost touch with the center. There were also 162 absent employees from the customs and hydropower departments. The majority of the 579 tourists—including foreigners—went to Gosainkunda in Nepal's Bagmati Province and Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet.
According to the Prime Minister's Office, Prime Minister Balendra Shah and Infrastructure Development Minister Sunil Lamshal visited Bidur Municipality in Nuwakot district on Thursday to examine regions affected by flooding. Bidur, one of the most severely affected areas, was reached by road from Kathmandu. Since the Bhotekoshi River swamped Rasuwa's riverfront communities on Wednesday, the Prime Minister has been in charge of rescue and relief efforts.
The flooding caused at least 73 injuries, including three in Dhading, 27 in Nuwakot, and 43 in Rasuwa. Several hospitals, including Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu, were treating them. Additionally, 35 motorable bridges, 45 suspension bridges, and 40 km of black-topped roads—mostly in central Nepal—were damaged by the floods. Ninety-four Nepali residents and twenty-nine foreigners were among the 123 trapped individuals saved from Timure in Rasuwa.
According to a preliminary assessment on Thursday, an ice avalanche upstream that blocked a river on the border between China and Nepal was the origin of the flash flood. About 20 kilometers northeast of Rasuwagadhi, an ice-rock avalanche caused a debris-filled flood in the Lhende River, according to the disaster administration. "The same flood appears to have entered the Trishuli River after passing through Timure," the official reported. According to disaster specialist Basanta Raj Adhikari, the flooding was caused by an ice avalanche that blocked the Lhende River, which is located roughly 20 kilometers upstream of Rasuwagadhi.
Transportation was also hampered in a number of areas of the nation by the floods. In some places, roads were blocked by mud and rocks, and in others, traffic was halted due to the increased risk posed by the flooding. A portion of the national highway between Mugling and Nagdhunga in Kathmandu was closed permanently. The national roads in Rasuwa and Nuwakot, the Prithvi Highway in Dhading, the Mechi Highway in Ilam, the BP Highway in Kavre, the Kanti Lokpath in Makwanpur, and the road links linking Chitwan and the Jajarkot-Dolpa stretch in Rukum West were also closed.
As the number of fatalities increased, hundreds remained unaccounted for, and significant damage to roads and bridges was reported, Nepal's officials began rescue and relief efforts on Thursday in an effort to determine the full scope of the catastrophe brought on by the flash floods.
