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Nepal and China both warned on Thursday of fresh risks of flooding in the Himalayas as two lakes that have developed on either side of their border threaten to burst in a region still grappling with this week’s catastrophic flood.
Fresh warning as rising lake threatens to burst in Bhotekoshi
Nepal authorities have issued a fresh flood warning for the Bhotekoshi River, after satellite imagery indicated that a lake had formed at the site of the earlier flooding. The lake is continuing to rise and could burst, the country’s disaster management authority said on Thursday, urging residents and rescue teams to stay away from the riverbanks.
At least 335 people have been killed in the disaster, AP reported, citing police officials, while nearly 800 people remain missing after floods swept through the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river systems.
Meanwhile, around 100 missing Indian nationals have been located, Reuters reported, citing authorities.
The extent of damage
The flash floods struck three districts on Wednesday after an avalanche blocked the flow of the Lhende tributary of the Bhotekoshi River. The sudden surge first hit Timure, near Nepal’s border with China at Rasuwagadhi, according to 'The Kathmandu Post'.
Much of the settlement, which is home to hundreds of people, was swept away before the floodwaters surged downstream. With no rainfall reported in the area, residents received no warning and were carrying on with their daily routines when the disaster struck.
As the extent of the devastation became clear, Rajendra Dhungana, chief customs officer in Rasuwa, and dozens of others fled into a nearby forest to escape the floodwaters. More than 300 vehicles and trucks waiting at the customs checkpoint were also washed away.
UP, Bihar, Uttarakhand on high alert as rivers may rise
Officials and disaster response agencies in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Uttarakhand were placed on high alert and began evacuating people from vulnerable areas in border districts after a flash flood in Nepal’s Bhote Koshi River in Rasuwa district killed at least 160 people and left hundreds of tourists missing, including 133 Indians, Hindustan Times reported.
The flash flood, which occurred around 200 km north of the India-Nepal border, could lead to a rise in water levels in rivers originating in Nepal, including the Gandak in Uttar Pradesh and parts of north Bihar, according to Hindustan Times.
393 foreigners among 468 tourists missing after Nepal flash flood
Nepal on Thursday said 468 tourists and travellers, including 393 foreign nationals, remained unaccounted for 24 hours after a deadly flash flood swept through the border region near Tibet.
“About 468 tourists and travellers are out of contact, among them 75 are Nepalis,” Suraj Ghimire, spokesperson for Nepal’s Department of Tourism, told news agency AFP.
Aerial footage captures Nepal flood aftermath
Aerial footage captured during a rescue mission in Nepal has reveals the devastating aftermath of the flash floods, with entire villages reduced to muddy remains. The Nepali Army has been conducting aerial rescue operations and evacuating scores of people from the affected areas.
Authorities have also urged residents living along the river and in other vulnerable zones to move to safer locations as rescue and relief efforts continued.
558 people missing in Tibet after floods, including 260 foreigners
China's Xinhua News Agency said mudslides Wednesday caused by a glacial collapse in Tibet have left 558 people missing after massive flash floods in a border area of Nepal and China left hundreds of tourists, workers and others missing after suddenly sweeping through communities and halting travel in some areas.
Drone footage showed roads destroyed and buildings buried by thundering water the colour of wet cement.
No earthquake, glacial collapse triggered catastrophic Nepal floods: USGS
The US Geological Survey (USGS) said on Thursday that a glacial collapse, rather than an earthquake, triggered seismic activity and led to “catastrophic” impacts downstream in Nepal and Tibet.
According to the agency, the seismic activity was initially believed to have been caused by an earthquake. However, further analysis indicated that it was “instead a glacial collapse and debris flow” that subsequently caused catastrophic destruction downstream.
Early reports had suggested that an earthquake may have triggered an avalanche, which then led to severe flooding in Nepal. Nepal’s Foreign minister Shisir Khanal had also referred to the possibility in a statement, according to local media reports. Read the full story here.
32-member Kolkata group among many from West Bengal untraceable
A 32-member group from Kolkata on the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra was among many from West Bengal, who went untraceable after the flash floods in Nepal, an official said.
The group, comprising 30 tourists and two tour managers, left the city on August 21 and reached Nepal the following day, he said.
The group reached Rasuwagadhi on Wednesday morning to cross into Tibet. Its members were at the immigration office around 8.30 am when the flash flood struck the area along the Nepal-Tibet border, he added.
"There has been no communication with any of the 32 members since the flash flood struck the area. We are trying to establish contact with all those from West Bengal who may have been in the affected areas," he said.
37 tourists from Keralam stranded in Nepal
Payyanur MLA V Kunhikrishnan has said that 37 people from his constituency are stranded in Nepal following flooding and are unable to proceed with their journey or return home.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday night, Kunhikrishnan said he had brought the matter to the attention of Chief Minister VD Satheesan and handed over the current locations and phone numbers of the tourists to the Chief Minister's Office. The MLA said the information was conveyed to the family members of the tourists and there was no need for panic as all 37 people were safe.
"We have been able to speak to all the people who went on the trip," he said.
Following the flooding, the Keralam government initiated urgent intervention on Wednesday night to bring back the stranded tourists from Nepal.
The Keralam government has also set up helpline numbers, 9447111844 and 9747132147, for stranded tourists and their relatives in the state to contact the concerned authorities.
SDRF on high alert in Uttarakhand's border district of Champawat
Vigilance has been stepped up in Uttarakhand's border district of Champawat following severe floods in Nepal on Wednesday. The Tanakpur post of the SDRF has been placed on high alert, and people have been urged to stay away from the banks of the Sharda River, officials said.
According to officials, the Tanakpur post in Champawat district has been put on high alert under the instructions of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) Commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi.
The SDRF's Tanakpur team is continuously monitoring and patrolling vulnerable riverbank areas, including the Sharda Ghat, the Sharda Barrage, and surrounding localities. The team is keeping a close watch on the river's water level and potential risks while maintaining coordination with the local administration.
Officials said that the SDRF team visited the Sharda Ghat and low-lying areas to alert local residents, travellers and fishermen about the potential rise in the river's water level. People have been urged not to venture near the riverbanks unnecessarily under any circumstances and to adhere to safety guidelines issued by the administration.
They added that the SDRF team is fully prepared round-the-clock with essential life-saving and rescue equipment to initiate immediate relief and rescue operations in the event of any emergency.
‘Nearly 300 Indians’ among thousands missing after Nepal floods: Foreign minister
Nepal Foreign minister Shisir Khanal has said nearly 300 Indian nationals, many of them pilgrims travelling towards Masarovar, have been reported missing after devastating flash floods struck the Rasuwa region.
Speaking at the NDTV World Anviksha Summit in Kathmandu, Khanal said the disaster had caused widespread destruction, with 160 deaths confirmed and thousands of people still untraced.
“Town after town have been wiped out within hours,” Khanal said, describing the scale of the devastation.
Khanal said authorities were still assessing the full impact of the floods and trying to establish contact with people who remained missing. Read the full story here.
Water level of swollen Gandak River in Bihar receding
The water level of the Gandak River, which was in spate after the flash floods in Nepal a day ago, was showing a receding trend on Thursday, bringing respite to the residents of low-lying areas in northern parts of Bihar, an official said.
The discharge from the Gandak Barrage at Valmikinagar in West Champaran, the northernmost district of the state that shares a border with the neighbouring country, also declined with the receding water level in the river system, he said.
Bihar was put on high alert on Wednesday as floodwaters from Nepal entered the Gandak river and reached the barrage, prompting the authorities concerned to open all 36 gates to control the surge.
The water discharge from Valmikinagar barrage declined from 1.50 lakh cusecs at 11 pm on Wednesday to 1.04 lakh cusecs on Thursday morning.
"The water discharge from the Gandak barrage at Valmikinagar peaked at 1.50 lakh cusecs at 11 pm on Wednesday, after which the water level began receding," the Water Resources Department said in a statement on Thursday.
Nearly 100 Indian visitors, 25 Chinese workers found after Nepal floods
Nepalese authorities said rescuers have located around 100 Indian visitors and about 25 Chinese workers who had been reported missing in the flood-hit areas.
However, the number of people still unaccounted for remains fluid as authorities continue to receive and verify new information, making it unclear whether the latest recoveries have significantly reduced the overall tally of missing foreign nationals.
