The death toll from catastrophic flash floods in Nepal and Tibet has surged to 392, with nearly 1,500 people reported missing as authorities warn of a fresh flood threat from a newly formed barrier lake. Rescuers are engaged in a desperate race against time to locate hundreds of individuals, including a significant number of Indian nationals, affected by the disaster.
Death Toll Climbs, Hundreds Unaccounted For
Information was available with The Chenab Times indicating that as of Thursday, 389 lives were lost in Nepal and three in Tibet due to the immense flash floods. The disaster, triggered by an ice-rock avalanche from a glacial collapse near the Nepal-Tibet border, unleashed a devastating torrent of water, mud, and debris across central Nepal. This natural calamity obliterated towns, villages, homes, vehicles, roads, and bridges, while also causing damage to crucial hydropower projects.
Official statements from Nepal Police confirmed that 796 individuals, including 50 foreign nationals, have been successfully rescued by helicopter, with an additional 796 evacuated by land. However, the exact nationalities of the foreign rescuees were not specified.
Fresh Flood Threat Looms
A persistent new flood threat looms downstream after the formation of a significant barrier lake near the source of the Bhote Koshi river system. Authorities have issued stark warnings that a potential breach of this natural dam could trigger another devastating surge of water, impacting areas further down the river. Chinese authorities estimate that approximately 2 million cubic metres of water had accumulated in the lake by Thursday morning, with projections suggesting an additional 3 million cubic metres could flow into it over the next three days, escalating concerns about a breach.
The newly formed lake is situated near the confluence of the Chhochen Khola and Purepu Tsangpo rivers, which originate in Tibet and flow into Nepal as part of the Bhote Koshi river system. Nepal’s Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, having received information from Chinese authorities regarding the lake, has cautioned about the ongoing risk of flooding in the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river basins. The public has been strongly advised to stay clear of riverbanks and seek safe locations, while travellers, security personnel, and search-and-rescue teams have been urged to remain vigilant.
Indian Nationals Affected, Rescue Efforts Underway
The disaster has prompted urgent efforts by India to locate its citizens. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reported that 290 Indian nationals remain uncontactable. New Delhi is actively engaged in ascertaining their whereabouts and coordinating rescue operations. The MEA confirmed that 84 Indian nationals have been rescued, including 63 workers from the under-construction Trishuli-I hydroelectric project and 21 individuals from Tamil Nadu. Additionally, around 200 Indian nationals on the Tibet side have sought assistance for evacuation.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar convened a high-level meeting, attended virtually by India’s envoys in Kathmandu and Beijing, to discuss the urgent steps being taken to ascertain the status and well-being of Indians in the flood-affected regions. The ministry is coordinating closely with Nepalese counterparts, various government ministries, state governments, tour operators, and other relevant authorities.
India has also significantly bolstered its relief assistance to Nepal. Following an initial dispatch of 10 tonnes of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) material on Wednesday, an additional 37.5 tonnes of HADR supplies, medicines, and food packets were sent on Thursday via military transport aircraft, bringing the total dispatched relief material to 47.5 tonnes.
Extent of Destruction and Rescue Operations
The initial ice-rock avalanche struck the Lhende River, causing a temporary blockage before the natural barrier failed, unleashing the destructive flood surge. A preliminary assessment by Nepalese authorities, corroborated by analysis from the US Geological Survey (USGS), indicates that a glacial collapse and debris flow, rather than an earthquake, was the primary trigger for the disaster. The USGS analysis of long-period seismic waves concluded that the event was generated by a glacial collapse and debris flow.
Chinese authorities have dispatched a rescue team with specialized equipment to Gyirong to assess the upstream blockage and mitigate potential secondary disasters. Nepalese security forces have evacuated over 800 people from affected districts. Helicopters, drones, and ground teams are continuing their search in isolated settlements, along river corridors, and in downstream areas. The destruction has severely hampered these operations, with damaged roads, washed-away bridges, and deep deposits of mud and debris impeding access to certain areas.
The Department of Roads in Nepal reported extensive damage to the 42-km road section between Betrawati and Rasuwagadhi, with multiple points affected and several concrete bridges swept away. Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) stated that the floods damaged 35 motorable bridges, 45 suspension bridges, and approximately 40 km of black-topped roads, severely disrupting transportation across the affected districts. Hydropower projects, including the Trishuli and Devighat projects, also sustained damage.
Rescue efforts are ongoing to clear the Galchhi-Baireni road in Dhading, a vital link between Kathmandu and other parts of Nepal. Search teams are recovering bodies carried by the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers, and families continue to gather at hospitals in a desperate search for loved ones. Authorities at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu and Bharatpur Hospital in Chitwan are managing lists of rescued individuals and deceased to aid families in their search.
The Chenab Times News Desk