At least 16 people died and almost 400 pilgrims remain missing in Nepal after a flash flood reached several towns and damaged roads and other infrastructure near the border with Tibet (China). The spokesperson for the Nepal Police in Bagmati province, Rajendra Prasad Dhamala, confirmed that 16 deaths have been recorded so far, although authorities fear that the number will increase.
Touch Kailash Travels CEO Bashu Kumar Adhikari said contact has been lost with 390 pilgrims who were in Nepal on their way to cross into Tibet to take part in the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. “The majority are Indians. Their identities have not yet been verified,” he said. Nepal Army spokesman Rajaram Basnet said at least 29 people had been rescued after the Bhote Koshi River overflowed.
The flood has affected towns and roads
Authorities have indicated that six Army helicopters and another eight operated by private companies were deployed for search and rescue efforts. “It is difficult to assess the damage at this time, but both the damage and the number of victims are likely to be considerable,” he said.
The flood hit the Rasuwa district early on Wednesday, affecting villages, markets, roads and hydroelectric works and disrupting traffic along one of the main land routes between Nepal and Tibet. The mass of water reached the Bhote Koshi River from the Tibetan area around 9:15 (local time) and hit Timure, Rasuwagadhi and Syabrubesi with particular force, according to official sources.
Authorities mobilized law enforcement and emergency teams as they tried to determine the extent of the damage and locate people who remained uncontacted.
The signs point to an earthquake
Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal preliminarily attributed the flood to an earthquake, noting that the earthquake caused a large landslide that blocked the channel of the Bhote Koshi River. “An earthquake occurred at 8:37 (local time) and, due to it, a large landslide occurred that blocked the river, which seems to have caused the flooding,” Khanal said during a meeting at the House of Representatives in Kathmandu, according to local media Ratopati.
Among those affected there are 93 Nepalese citizens and 291 foreigners, according to a count prepared from data from different travel agencies. As for the breakdown, it includes 105 Indian citizens, 37 non-resident Indians, 17 Malaysians, 12 British, four South Africans, three Americans, one Australian and one Dutch, while authorities are trying to confirm the nationality of another 111 people.
On the other hand, the mass of water reached the Bhote Koshi River from the Tibetan area around 9:15 (local time) and hit the towns of Timure, Rasuwagadhi and Syabrubesi with special force, according to official sources.
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