Death count in Nepal-Tibet flash floods rises 389, nearly 1,500 still missing | What we know so far

The death count from the Nepal-Tibet flash floods has gone up to 389 on Thursday, including 359 in Nepal and three in neighbouring Tibet, as the rescue operation is still underway to trace hundreds still missing, including 290 Indian nationals. The flash flood was triggered by an ice-rock avalanche which was caused by a glacial collapse near the Nepal-Tibet border that sent a torrent of water, mud and debris downstream through central Nepal on Wednesday, devastating towns and villages, washing away homes, vehicles, roads and bridges, and damaging hydropower projects.

Fresh flood threat looms large in Nepal

Amid these developments, a fresh flood threat continued downstream after a new barrier lake formed near the source of the Bhote Koshi river system, with authorities warning that a possible breach could trigger another surge in the river and downstream areas.

Meanwhile, the Nepal authorities stated that 910 people are missing, as rescuers searched river corridors clogged by mud and debris and families crowded hospitals in a desperate hunt for loved ones.

Apart from this, the natural disaster also left 558 people missing in Tibet, officials said, taking the number of people reported missing on the two sides of the border to 1,468. The disaster has also triggered an urgent effort by India to trace its nationals, with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) saying 290 Indian nationals remain uncontactable. New Delhi is making “urgent efforts” to ascertain their whereabouts and coordinate their rescue, the ministry said.

MEA says 84 Indian nationals have been rescued

The MEA said 84 Indian nationals had been rescued, including 63 workers employed at the under-construction Trishuli-I run-of-river hydroelectric project and 21 from Tamil Nadu. Around 200 Indian nationals on the Tibet side have sought assistance for evacuation, the MEA said.

Giving more details, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, after a high-level meeting attended virtually by India’s envoys in Kathmandu and Beijing, said that urgent efforts were underway to ascertain the status and well-being of Indians in the flood-affected areas. He further stated that the ministry was coordinating with the Nepalese side, other ministries, state governments, tour operators and relevant authorities.

India sends humanitarian assistance to Nepal

Apart from this, the MEA said that India has also stepped up relief assistance to Nepal. After sending 10 tonnes of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) material on Wednesday, it sent another 37.5 tonnes of HADR material, medicines and food packets on Thursday in a military transport aircraft, taking the total dispatched to 47.5 tonnes.

Meanwhile, the Nepalese security personnel have so far evacuated more than 800 people from affected districts, while helicopters, drones and ground teams continue to search isolated settlements, riverbanks and downstream areas.

The floods first devastated Rasuwa district, about 160 km from capital city Kathmandu, after the ice-rock avalanche and debris flow near the Nepal-Tibet border. A torrent of water, mud, rocks and debris tore through settlements including Timure and Rasuwagadhi before surging downstream through the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river system.

With inputs from PTI

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