Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Nearly 160 people have been killed and more than 750 remain missing, including 133 Indian nationals, after a massive flash flood swept through central Nepal, originating from a glacial outburst triggered by an earthquake in the Tibet region. Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal told parliament that an earthquake struck the Tibet region at 8:37 am local time, with flash floods reported just three minutes later, pointing to a glacial lake outburst caused by the tremors.
Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said the flood surged into the Trishuli River through the Bhote Koshi in Timure, a border town in Rasuwa district, following a rockslide and the swelling of the Lhende River along the Nepal-Tibet border. The deluge then spread downstream through Nuwakot, Chitwan, Gorkha, Tanahu and Nawalparasi East districts, affecting areas stretching nearly 200 kilometres from the capital, Kathmandu. The Nepal Police confirmed 157 deaths in the disaster, while the Nepal government placed the number of missing at around 500. Across the border, Chinese state media reported three deaths and 265 people missing on the Chinese side.
Around 100 people have been rescued from the affected areas so far, with 30 of them currently undergoing treatment at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu. Among those unaccounted for are at least 50 Indian pilgrims who were on the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra, while the remaining missing foreign nationals hail from more than two dozen countries, including the United States, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia and the Netherlands. Nepal’s Foreign Minister also informed the House of Representatives that 80 security personnel, including 44 from the Nepal Army, have gone missing from various affected locations.
The flood has severely damaged Nepal’s hydropower infrastructure, knocking out eight operational projects with a combined capacity of 354 megawatts along with five under-construction projects in the Nuwakot and Rasuwa districts, while sweeping away 19 motorable bridges. The Nepalese Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police have been mobilised across the affected region to carry out rescue and relief operations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with his Nepalese counterpart Balendra Shah and assured him of all possible humanitarian assistance, with Shah thanking Modi for his solidarity and support. India has already dispatched its first tranche of relief supplies to Nepal. The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu has issued emergency contact numbers for assistance related to Indian nationals: +977 985 131 6807 and +977 970 910 7500. The Nepal Tourism Board has also activated its own emergency channels, including toll-free number 1234, hotline 1144 and Tourist Police number 9851289445, while the Embassy of India in Beijing has opened a helpline at 0086 185 1428 4905, also reachable via WhatsApp. Several Indian states, including Uttar Pradesh and Kerala, have issued their own dedicated helpline numbers for affected families.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered all-out search and rescue efforts, deploying 145 officers and soldiers from the Xigaze detachment of the People’s Armed Police to the affected border area, while stressing the need for stronger monitoring, early warning systems and scientific rescue operations to guard against secondary disasters. Nepalese President Ramchandra Paudel has expressed grief over the loss of lives and property caused by the disaster.
