133 Indians missing in Nepal flash flood; 55 killed; Bihar, UP borders on alert
AT least 133 Indians are among the nearly 400 persons missing, with at least 55 deaths confirmed after massive flash floods swept through Nepal’s northern Rasuwa district near the Tibet border on Wednesday, washing away homes, vehicles, bridges and infrastructure project sites. The disaster has also triggered an alert in Bihar, which shares a border with Nepal, as floodwaters continue to move downstream.
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The surge entered the river Bhote Koshi from the Tibetan side around 9 am, severely affecting Timure and Syapru Besi, officials said. A mudslide also struck Tibet near the Gyirong border crossing, causing casualties and leaving people missing, China's state-run Xinhua reported.
Security footage from the Chinese side of the Nepal-Tibet border captured people fleeing moments before a massive torrent of rocks, mud and water tore through the area, destroying buildings and vehicles and claiming several lives. The exact cause of the mudslide remained uncertain.
However, the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) reported that a 4.4-magnitude earthquake struck around seven minutes before the timestamp visible on the security footage.
Videos circulating on social media showed rivers raging through the region, with one showing floodwaters sweeping away a bridge. Another video showed a house collapsing like a pack of cards as people screamed and ran in panic in the background.
The Nepal government initiated rescue operations in flood-hit areas, but helicopters were unable to land in places where the floodwater levels are high. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an all-out search for those missing in Tibet and stronger monitoring and early-warning systems to prevent secondary disasters.
In India, the Bihar government stepped up vigilance over the flash flood situation in Nepal. Chief Secretary Pratyaya Amrit held a video conference with district magistrates and directed officials in districts along the Gandak and Kosi river systems to remain particularly alert.
EARTHQUAKE CAUSED AVALANCHE?
Security footage from the Chinese side of the Nepal-Tibet border captured people fleeing moments before a massive torrent of rocks, mud and water tore through the area, destroying buildings and vehicles and claiming several lives.
The exact cause of the mudslide remained uncertain. However, the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) reported that a 4.4-magnitude earthquake struck around seven minutes before the timestamp visible on the security footage.
The avalanche is believed to have unleashed a massive surge of water and debris downstream, devastating villages, roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure.
VILLAGES AND BORDER MARKET SWEPT AWAY
Rasuwa Chief District Officer Narendra Pariyar said authorities had received reports of villages and infrastructure project sites being washed away, although the scale of the damage was not immediately clear, Reuters reported.
“There could be heavy casualties or loss of property,” Pariyar said.
Timure Bazaar, a market near the Tibet border, and the nearby customs area were extensively damaged, with vehicles and goods swept away, according to local officials. A newly constructed Friendship Bridge at Rasuwagadhi, which had been rebuilt after last year's deadly flood, was also washed away.
Three Nepal Police facilities were damaged – the Area Police Office in Timure, the Police Post in Syaphrubesi and the Police Post at Rasuwagadhi – according to Nepal Police. Nine Armed Police Force personnel deployed in Timure near the Tibet border were reported missing, The Kathmandu Post reported.
The floods also damaged or swept away hydropower infrastructure, roads and bridges. Nepal's Energy Ministry said around 430 MW of electricity supply was affected, mostly from hydropower projects – more than 12 per cent of the country's total installed hydropower capacity of 3.2 GW, Reuters reported.
The flood from Rasuwa Bhote Koshi has reached Narayani Devghat and water levels are continuing to rise. Authorities have urged residents in settlements and market areas along the river to remain on high alert and move to safer locations.
HELICOPTERS UNABLE TO LAND IN FLOODED AREAS
Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah chaired an emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers to review the flooding, damage and rescue efforts. Police, the Nepal Army and the Armed Police Force have been deployed for search and rescue operations, while two Army helicopters were sent towards the affected areas, according to The Kathmandu Post.
However, rescue operations have been hampered by the conditions on the ground. Water levels were too high for helicopters to land in Syapru Besi and Timure, Army spokesperson Raja Ram Basnet said.
Shah said authorities had instructed officials to move people living in lower-lying areas to safer locations. “People along the river are advised to exercise extra caution and remain alert,” he said.
The flooding moved downstream into the Trishuli river basin, prompting warnings for Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha and Chitwan. Traffic from Kathmandu towards Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Chitwan and Dhading was suspended amid the flood threat, The Kathmandu Post reported.
Nepal Home Minister Sudan Gurung also appealed to residents along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli riverbanks to evacuate to safer areas.
The Bhote Koshi originates in Tibet and flows through Nepal before joining the Trishuli river system, which eventually enters India as the Gandak. The region experienced a deadly flood last year when a Bhote Koshi flood killed nine people and left 24 missing. It also washed away a bridge linking Nepal and China, disrupting trade and transport for months.
That disaster was later linked to the draining of a supraglacial lake in Tibet, according to a regional climate monitor.
FLOODS IN TIBET AND CHINA, CASUALTIES REPORTED
Across the Nepal border, a mudslide struck China's Gyirong county and the Gyirong port, cutting off roads, communications and power in parts of the Shigatse region, Xinhua reported. The agency said there were major casualties and missing people in the area.
The Chinese Embassy in Nepal also activated its emergency response mechanism, saying it was assessing the situation of Chinese citizens and enterprises in the affected areas and urging Nepal's authorities to intensify rescue efforts.
Former Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba urged residents living around the river Trishuli to remain vigilant and called on security agencies, political parties and civil society groups to assist in rescue operations.
SIX BIHAR DISTRICTS UNDER HIGH ALERT
Bihar has been put on alert after heavy rain and devastating floods in Nepal raised concerns over rising water levels in rivers flowing into the state. Six districts along the Kosi, Gandak and Ganga have been placed under special vigilance.
Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary to take stock of the situation. The Centre is closely monitoring developments, while NDRF teams have been sent to affected areas.
Relief and rescue agencies have been asked to remain prepared. The Centre and Bihar government are maintaining close coordination to respond to any worsening flood situation.
Chief Minister Choudhary said a high-level team was constituted to monitor the flash flood situation in Nepal. "The Chief Secretary and DGP are monitoring the situation. I am also holding a meeting on it shortly," he said.
FLASH FLOOD RISK NOT OVER?
Qianggong Zhang, head of climate and environmental risks at the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, said an ice-rock avalanche in the Lhende Khola river on the Nepali side may have triggered the disaster.
However, the cause of the avalanche remains unconfirmed. Zhang cautioned that the threat could persist, with a blockage still lodged upstream along the Nepal-China border.
Authorities have warned that another major flood could occur if the blockage suddenly collapses or is swept away.
PM MODI SPEAKS TO NEPALESE COUNTERPART
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Nepal PM Balendra Shah, expressing condolences over the deaths caused by devastating floods.
PM Modi assured Shah of India’s full support and offered all possible humanitarian and relief assistance. India is closely monitoring the situation and remains in touch with Nepal as rescue operations continue, he said.
With floodwaters continuing downstream and rescue teams struggling to reach some of the worst-hit areas, authorities across Nepal, Tibet, China and Bihar remained on high alert.
Extending a helping hand to its neighbour, India is going to dispatch relief material to Nepal with two flights, one scheduled to leave later tonight and another one early tomorrow morning, sources told India Today.
