This Friday, Nepal raised the number of deaths to 538 due to the gigantic flood that devastated several areas of the country last Wednesday, while rescue teams continue the search for 977 missing people. In addition, three Spaniards remain missing in Nepal, according to the latest update from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority of Nepal (NDRRMA) has updated the balance and has placed the number of bodies recovered in Nepalese territory at 538. The Chitwan district, located in the lower river basin, has the highest number of victims, with 221 deaths.
The flood occurred on Wednesday in the Bhote Koshi river basin, in northern Nepal, after a gigantic glacial calving in the Himalayas that unleashed an avalanche of ice, rock, mud and water. The enormous current advanced through the river channels and destroyed towns, roads, bridges and infrastructure in its path.
More than 90,000 people affected
The magnitude of the emergency has not yet been fully quantified. The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) preliminarily estimates that some 93,000 people could have been affected in Nepal, although it warns that the number may increase because aid teams have not yet been able to access some of the worst hit areas.
“Due to roads and bridges being washed away and cell coverage and electricity being disrupted, we have not yet been able to access some of the most affected areas,” IFRC representative David Fisher explained from Kathmandu.
The humanitarian organization has also warned that the information available remains approximate and that many affected people have not yet received the help they need.
Three missing Spaniards
The Spanish Embassy in New Delhi, together with the Consulate General of Spain in Beijing, has confirmed that the number of Spaniards missing after the flood in northern Nepal has been reduced to three. The Nepalese authorities have confirmed that they are monitoring the situation and continue with the efforts. In addition, they are prepared to provide all necessary consular assistance.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, reported yesterday that there were at least four Spaniards unaccounted for and stressed that there are no records of any Spanish deaths. However, he asked the relatives of those who were in the country to contact them.
Risk of new flooding
The emergency is not over yet. The landslide has accumulated a large amount of water and debris, which has created natural barriers in several channels and maintains the risk of new flooding.
Nepalese authorities have asked the population to stay away from the banks of the Bhote Koshi and low-lying areas due to the possibility of new overflows. On the Chinese side, the rise in the level of one of these natural lakes has forced extreme precautions during rescue efforts.
