22 dead in Nepal floods, over 400 tourists missing including 105 Indians
Kathmandu, August 26: At least 22 people have been confirmed dead after a sudden flash flood struck Nepal’s Bhotekoshi River on Wednesday morning, while the toll is feared to rise as over 400 tourists, including 105 Indians, remain missing; the army, local administration, and security agencies are carrying out extensive relief and rescue operations across the affected region.
A sudden flood in Bhotekoshi river of Rasuwa in the area bordering Tibet in Nepal on Wednesday morning at around 8:30 a.m. caused massive destruction.
According to official information, 22 people have died in the floods so far. According to the latest information from the Bagmati Pradesh Police Office, these 22 people died in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, and Chitwan.
According to the information, 1 man died in Rasuwa, 11 people, including 5 women and 6 men, in Nuwakot, 9 people, including 5 women and 2 men, in Dhading, and 1 woman in Chitwan. During the rescue operation, relief teams rescued 65 injured people from the affected areas. These included 43 from Rasuwa, 19 from Nuwakot, and 3 from Dhading.
According to preliminary information, the flood was caused by the bursting of a glacial lake from Tibet or a sudden increase in water level. This devastating flood has caused massive devastation across the region, washing away many villages, roads, and bridges. Several hydropower projects have also suffered significant damage. The Nepal Tourism Board, tourist police, and other relevant agencies are coordinating search and rescue efforts for tourists in the affected areas.
Officially, 384 tourists are missing since the accident. According to the Nepal Tourism Board, 105 of the missing people are Indian tourists. The Board has identified 384 missing tourists, including 291 foreign nationals and 93 Nepali nationals. According to preliminary data, the highest number of missing tourists are 92 people traveling through the Trekkers Society, followed by 71 people traveling through Samrat Tours and Travels. Additionally, 55 people from Leaf Holidays and 52 tourists from Himalayan Glacier, along with those traveling through other agencies, are also missing.
The missing foreign tourists include citizens of India, Australia, the Netherlands, the United States, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, and South Africa. The Board stated that the nationalities of some of the missing tourists are not yet known. The Tourism Board is coordinating with local authorities, security agencies, and trekking guides to verify missing data. At the same time, efforts are underway to intensify search and rescue operations in the affected areas.
