At least 19 dead, dozens missing as massive Tibet-origin flood devastates Nepal
Kathmandu: More than one and a half dozen people have been confirmed dead after a massive flood originating in the Tibetan region of China swept through the transboundary Bhotekoshi River, leaving a trail of destruction in Nepal, local police confirmed on Wednesday evening.
Nepal Police spokesperson Deputy Inspector General Abi Narayan Kafle said that the bodies of 19 people, who were swept away by the deadly flood, have been recovered by late Wednesday afternoon.
According to police, 28 Nepal Police personnel have remained out of contact since the flood, believed to have been triggered by an ice avalanche, swept through the area, causing widespread destruction in Nepal.
Police said that rescue operations were continuing, along with awareness campaigns targeting people living in districts downstream of the Bhotekoshi River, including along the Trishuli River.
According to local media reports, more than two dozen bank staff have also remained out of contact. Onlinekhabar reported, quoting Nepal Bankers’ Association Chief Executive Officer Anil Sharma, that 26 staff members employed by eight banks remained out of contact.
Meanwhile, the Nepal government said that 114 people had been rescued using helicopters. The government’s spokesperson and Minister for Education and Sports, Sashmit Pokharel, said that 25 injured people rescued and brought to Kathmandu were receiving treatment at various hospitals in the Kathmandu Valley.
An additional 21 people are receiving treatment at a local hospital in Rasuwa district.
Meanwhile, the secretariat of Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle said that India, China and the World Bank had pledged support for the rescue and reconstruction of flood-affected areas in disaster-stricken Nepal.
“Soon after news of the flooding emerged, at around 10:35 a.m., World Bank Country Director for Nepal David Sislen informed Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle that emergency assistance of up to NPR 25 billion could be mobilized from various sources.
“Nepal’s southern neighbour, India, has asked the government to provide a list of essential relief materials urgently needed for flood victims. China has also decided to provide immediate cash assistance,” the secretariat said.
A Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday declared the affected local governments in Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading districts as “disaster crisis-hit areas,” paving the way for the mobilization of both domestic and international assistance.