Massive floods sweep through Nepal; several districts put on high alert

At least eight people were killed and several others are missing after a sudden cloudburst triggered a sharp rise in the Bhotekoshi River, causing widespread flooding in Nepal’s Rasuwa district near the China border on Wednesday.Across the border in Tibet, the flooding also reportedly caused “major casualties”, according to Chinese state media.Nepal sent helicopters to the rescue on Wednesday after a massive flash flood swept ‌away villages in the Himalayan nation, killing eight and damaging roads, bridges and power projects in areas near Tibet, authorities said.“A sudden flood in Rasuwa has caused damage to the market area, including Syaprubesi. Initial reports have come that the flood that has been occurring for some time has caused great damage to the settlement and market area. The exact details of the flood damage have not yet been received,” said Narendra Pariyar, chief district officer of Rasuwa.The floodwater reportedly came from the direction of Tibet and surged through the Bhote Koshi River around 9 am local time.The Nepal army said the sudden rise in water caused widespread destruction in Timure and the nearby Syafrubesi area. Vehicles, goods and other property were swept away.Rasuwa district is located northeast of Kathmandu, around 125 km from the Tibet border.High alert in several districtsThe National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRM) has asked people living near river banks in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Chitwan and Gorkha to remain on high alert and take necessary safety measures until further notice.Rasuwa assistant chief district officer Dhruva Prasad Adhikari said the scale of the flooding was unusually large and that the two settlements had suffered significant damage.Rasuwa chief customs officer Rajendra Dhungana said several vehicles and goods kept at the customs premises were swept away. A recently constructed bridge was also destroyed.Rescue operations under wayThe Nepal Prime Minister’s Office said personnel from the Nepal army, armed police force and Nepal Police had been deployed in Rasuwa and nearby areas to strengthen rescue and relief operations.A high-level meeting will also be held to assess the situation and decide on further measures, according to the PM’s Office.The Nepal army has sent two helicopters to areas near the Trishuli River for search and rescue operations. An MI-17 helicopter equipped with an Emergency Medical Rescue Team has also been sent towards the district hospital in Trishuli, the army said.The army said details of the damage were still being collected and the full extent of the destruction was not yet known.Not caused by rainfallAccording to Nepal’s department of hydrology and meteorology, Wednesday’s flooding was not caused by rainfall in Rasuwa.The development comes a year after two catastrophic floods hit the Bhotekoshi River in Rasuwa, killing at least 10 people.That flooding was caused by the sudden draining of a previously unnoticed “supraglacial” lake.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.