The death toll from flash floods in central Nepal has risen to 165, with 826 people missing and 73 injured, authorities said today, as rescuers searched for victims and worked to restore damaged roads and bridges.
The floods struck several districts on Wednesday after an ice avalanche and landslide upstream blocked the flow of the Lhende tributary of the Bhotekoshi River, sending a debris-laden surge through settlements near Nepal’s border with China.
Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said the flood first hit Timure, near the Rasuwagadhi border crossing, before apparently entering the Trishuli River.
Three more bodies were recovered in Nawalparasi West, taking the overall death toll to 165, Nepal Police said.
The dead included two people in Rasuwa, 12 in Nuwakot, 27 in Dhading, 64 in Chitwan, 20 in Gorkha, nine in Tanahun, 26 in Nawalparasi East and five in Nawalparasi West.
Of those injured, 43 were from Rasuwa, 27 from Nuwakot and three from Dhading. The injured were being treated at hospitals including Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu.
The disaster has also affected foreign tourists. Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said nearly 300 Indian tourists were among thousands of people reported missing.
Officials said 579 tourists, including foreigners, were missing, many of them travelling towards Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet and Gosainkunda in Nepal’s Bagmati province.
“Thousands of families have lost homes and are missing as of now. We are still trying to ascertain the full extent of the disaster,” Khanal said.
The NDRRMA said 123 people stranded in the Timure area of Rasuwa had been rescued, including 94 Nepalis and 29 foreigners.
The floods have damaged 35 motorable bridges, 45 suspension bridges and about 40 km of paved roads, authorities said.
Several major highways and road links have been closed because of flood damage, landslides and the risk of further flooding. The national highway linking Kathmandu with Mugling was shut indefinitely, while transport was also disrupted on roads including the Mechi Highway, BP Highway, Kanti Lokpath and Prithvi Highway.
Prime Minister Balendra Shah visited flood-hit areas of Nuwakot district on Thursday to assess the damage and oversee rescue and relief operations.
Authorities said 44 Nepal Army personnel, 28 Nepal Police personnel and 13 Armed Police Force personnel had lost contact with their command centres. Another 162 people working at hydropower and customs facilities were also reported missing.
Rescue teams continued to search affected areas as authorities assessed the scale of the destruction and worked to restore transport links.
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