Warning signs came days before deadly Nepal flash flood that killed over a thousand: Report

Stronger disaster preparedness and early-warning systems could have saved lives, as the death toll due to Nepal’s deadly flood on August 26 crossed the thousand-mark, stated the HiRISK report. The report found that there were pre-event indications of the avalanche in satellite images and of a crack propagating into the surface of the glacier before it collapsed. 

“Early Warning Systems had been just set up recently in this region, focusing on several glacial lakes in China, but no operational EWS was set up in this place for glacier-related hazards. Given the rapid speed of the initial avalanche, warning time from conventional in-channel systems would have been minimal and likely insufficient for successful evacuation at the Nepal-China border checkpoint at Rasuwagadhi. Further downstream, with warning times of 10 minutes or more, comprehensive and well-capacitated systems could have saved a significant number of lives,” stated the report. 

Additionally, the mass movement caused a seismic signal at a magnitude larger than 4, suggesting that such seismological systems could be used in future in seismic-based early warning setups across large scales, it added. 

Death toll crosses 1,000-mark 

Till now, the death toll crossed 1,127  with security forces recovering additional bodies from eight districts, officials said. Around 4,000 people are still missing, while nearly 12,000 people have been rescued, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA). India has evacuated 163 of its nationals following the devastating flash floods that have claimed more than 1,000 lives. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India is continuing its rescue and relief efforts in close coordination with Nepalese authorities. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal shared the latest update on Tuesday, along with details of India’s specialised rescue and forensic teams working on the ground. According to the MEA, 163 Indian nationals have been rescued from the flood-affected areas, with five more people being evacuated since the previous update. Jaiswal also said that 151 Indian nationals left China on Tuesday as part of the ongoing efforts to facilitate the movement of affected Indians.

How is India responding? 

A 19-member specialised forensic team from India began operations in Kathmandu on Sunday. At the same time, an Indian tunnel rescue team has been deployed to assist with search and rescue operations at hydropower tunnels in Chilime.The tunnel team has faced extremely difficult conditions while attempting to access the affected underground areas. “Tunnel rescue team: After establishing a foothold at hydropower tunnels in Chilime, the Indian tunnel rescue team had to overcome several challenges such as extremely restricted access space, limitations on use of specialised equipment due to terrain, and a marshy tunnel floor. Using innovative methods and improvised floats, the team was able to move deeper in the tunnel. Its efforts will continue tomorrow to try and rescue any individuals that may be trapped inside,” the statement said. 

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