Rescue operations resume at full pace after a brief slowdown
Kathmandu: The death toll from flash floods in central Nepal rose to 579 on Friday, with more bodies recovered as search and rescue operations resume at full pace after a brief slowdown due to fear of fresh floods following an increase in the water level in the Bhotekoshi river area.
At least 320 Indians remain missing in Nepal and 400 others are stranded on the Chinese side following the devastating flash floods, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, adding that India stands ready to extend all possible help to Kathmandu to deal with the situation.
The MEA said 153 Indian nationals stranded on the Chinese side have safely crossed over to Nepal.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) said rising water levels at the site of a devastating flash flood earlier this week increased the risk of another flood in the area.
“The water level mixed with mud has increased at the same place where the flash flood occurred on Wednesday, and there is a risk of more flooding in the area,” the NDRRMA said.
The warning came after a massive flash flood swept through Rasuwa and other parts of central Nepal on Wednesday, killing hundreds and causing widespread damage to settlements, roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure.
The NDRRMA urged people involved in search and rescue operations, as well as those staying in the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli areas for various reasons, to remain highly alert and immediately move to safer places if they face any risk.
The Nepal Police on Friday said 579 bodies were recovered from eight districts of the Himalayan nation, with thousands still missing.
According to the police, 233 dead bodies have been recovered from Chitwan district, 154 from Nawalparasi East, 46 from Gorkha and 40 from Dhading.
Similarly, 37 dead bodies were recovered from Nuwakot, 30 from Tanahu, 27 from Nawalparasi West, and 12 from Rasuwa.
Five people have been killed in Gyirong County in the Tibet Autonomous Region, according to Chinese authorities.
At least 1,924 people, including 86 security personnel, 517 foreign tourists and 127 Nepali travellers, have been missing since Wednesday morning when the flash floods hit Rasuwa and adjoining districts of Nepal.
So far, 1,545 injured and stranded people have been rescued from various affected regions. Among them, 84 are currently undergoing treatment in various hospitals in Kathmandu, where families are desperately searching for their loved ones.
So far, 4,451 people have been rescued from different affected areas. These include 129 foreign nationals, including 85 Indians, and 191 people trapped in tunnels of various hydropower projects. Altogether, 101 injured people are undergoing treatment in various hospitals in Kathmandu.
Search and rescue operations continued for the third day of the tragic incident with the mobilisation of 7,451 security personnel, including 2,391 Nepal Army personnel, the police statement said.
Helicopters have been used to reach isolated areas and evacuate survivors, while ground teams continue searching riverbanks and downstream settlements, The Kathmandu Post newspaper reported.
Morgues in hospitals in Nepal in several areas are running out of space as more bodies swept away by the floods downstream are being recovered.
Bodies recovered from Rasuwa and Nuwakot have been found as far downstream as Chitwan, Tanahun, Nawalparasi, Gorkha and other districts, with morgues in several areas running out of space.
The Nepal government has decided to halt all examinations from August 29, given the situation that developed following the devastating natural disaster.
Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah and members of his cabinet have decided in a cabinet meeting to donate a month’s salary to the disaster relief fund.
