Rescue teams are continuing to search for survivors and missing people after devastating flash floods swept across northern Nepal near the Tibet border, destroying homes, cutting off roads and washing away bridges.
The disaster has left hundreds dead and hundreds more unaccounted for, while authorities remain concerned about the possibility of another major flood after a rising lake formed near the China-Nepal border.
The floods struck communities along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers, sending a powerful wall of water, mud and debris through villages and towns.
Nepali police initially reported recovering 177 bodies, while the number of deaths has since continued to rise. The disaster has affected several districts, with floodwaters travelling more than 160 kilometres (100 miles) south towards Chitwan, close to the Indian border.
Families Search Desperately For Missing Relatives
As rescue operations continued on Thursday, worried relatives gathered at hospitals and emergency centres in Kathmandu, searching for information about loved ones who remain missing.
Among those looking for a family member was Subash Khatani, who was searching for his elder brother, Ram Sharan Rasaili, who disappeared in Rasuwa, one of the worst-hit areas.
“My elder brother Ram Sharan Rasaili is among those missing in Rasuwa. That’s why we are out searching for him,” Khatani said at Bir Hospital in Kathmandu.
Another relative, Chitra Bahadur Nepali, was searching for his nephew, Yubraj Sewak, a driver who was travelling towards Rasuwa when contact with him was lost.
“My nephew was on his way to Rasuwa and was in contact with my sister until about 8:00 am yesterday,” Nepali, 52, said, showing his nephew’s photograph on his phone.
“We have not heard from him since the flood. His name is not on any of the lists we have seen, and another member of our family is also missing.”
Rescue teams have been moving through flood-affected communities while families visit hospitals and police helpdesks in search of information about those who remain unaccounted for.
Bir Hospital said it would provide free treatment to victims and was “fully prepared” to handle the influx of patients.
Hundreds Of Tourists Still Unaccounted For
Nepal’s disaster agency said 823 people remained out of contact as of August 27, including 579 tourists from Nepal and other countries.
Earlier reports indicated that missing foreigners included tourists from India, the United States and the United Kingdom, while several Nepalese security personnel were also among those reported missing.
In Tibet, Chinese state media reported that three people had died in the mudslide disaster, while 558 people, including 260 foreigners, remained missing.
The figures from the two sides of the border may not necessarily be independent, and authorities are still working to establish the full scale of the disaster.
Glacial Collapse Blamed For Flooding
The United States Geological Survey said a glacial collapse and resulting debris flow triggered the flooding, causing what it described as “catastrophic” downstream impacts in Nepal and Tibet.
The disaster has also raised concerns about further flooding. A lake formed by rising water along the China-Nepal border has prompted fears that it could eventually burst its banks and send another surge of water downstream.
Authorities are therefore maintaining rescue and monitoring operations as they assess the risks and work to protect communities that could be affected by another flood.
The scale of the destruction remains under assessment as rescue workers continue searching for survivors and families wait anxiously for news of their missing relatives.
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