Nepal floods LIVE: Nearly 400 dead, over 1,400 missing; fresh surge warning in Bhotekoshi river

Nepal floods LIVE updates: In a post on Facebook, Nepal PM Balendra Shah said that 13,295 security personnel from the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force, and Nepal Police have been mobilised to give high priority to the search and rescue operation. “This includes 7,250 from the Nepal Police, 4,200 from the Nepal Army, and 1,845 from the Armed Police Force,” he said.

"573 people have been rescued by operating 69 air flights today. Additional helicopters have been kept on standby, and private helicopters have also been mobilised for rescue and relief under the government command and coordination system."

“The work of relocating stranded citizens and security personnel in affected areas, including Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading, to safer places is ongoing. Temporary accommodation has been arranged in schools and public/community buildings for the immediate settlement of about 3,500 people.”

Nepal floods LIVE updates: The death toll in the devastating flash floods in Nepal has risen to 359, while 910 people remain missing or out of contact, as authorities intensify search, rescue and relief operations amid a warning of another major flood threat from a newly formed lake upstream of the Lhende River.

According to the latest "Rasuwa Bhotekoshi Flood Search, Rescue and Relief Update" issued by Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) up to 6:20 PM (local time) on Thursday, 359 bodies have been recovered from eight districts.

The highest number of casualties has been reported in Chitwan, where 132 bodies have been recovered, followed by Nawalparasi East with 82, Gorkha with 30, Dhading with 33, Nuwakot with 28, Tanahun with 22, Rasuwa with 17 and Nawalparasi West with 15.

The Gorkha figure includes various human body parts, according to the NDRRMA update.

Of the 910 people reported missing or out of contact, the figures include 28 Nepal Police personnel, 44 Nepal Army personnel, 13 Armed Police Force personnel, 15 Customs Office personnel and four Immigration Office personnel.

via ANI

Nepal floods LIVE updates: Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Thursday visited the Gyirong Township near the Nepal border post in Tibet, where 558 people were reported missing after a massive flash flood that caused heavy casualties.

The flash flood struck the Gyirong Township in the Tibet Autonomous Region on Wednesday morning. It swept through villages and towns near the China-Nepal border area, killing three in Tibet and 359 in Nepal, and leaving hundreds of others missing.

State-run Xinhua news agency quoted local officials as saying that 558 people were reported missing in Tibet after a massive flash flood that caused heavy casualties.

The rescue work is hampered by a huge barrier lake, which Chinese officials, carrying out relief operations at the site, apprehend will cause a massive secondary disaster.

An eight-member advance team from China Anneng, a state-owned engineering and rescue enterprise, arrived in Gyirong County on Thursday with communications and detection equipment to collect key data and support efforts to address an upstream blockage or barrier lake, which is a top priority, Xinhua news agency reported.

via PTI

Nepal floods LIVE updates: A woman from West Bengal had her visa rejected days before she was scheduled to travel for Kailash Mansarover pilgrimage. Upset, she changed her plans and instead travelled to Ladakh, where she was staying when the news of the Nepal floods came. the group with which she was supposed to travel is uncontactable currently, while the woman, 61-year-old Tapati Singha, is returning home in Kolkata. Read full story

Nepal floods LIVE updates: Efforts are on to trace an NRI couple from Odisha who have gone missing in Nepal following devastating flash floods, officials said on Thursday.

Sandeep Mohapatra and his wife Sidharthi Kumari Sahu, originally from Khurda district and settled in Australia since 2018, have been untraceable since the flash floods hit the Himalayan country, Pritish Panda, the nodal officer appointed to assist distressed Odias in Nepal, said.

"We are trying to establish contact with them, but have failed so far. Their mobile phones were found switched off," Panda told PTI.

The couple reached Nepal from Australia on August 22 to visit tourist spots.

Sandeep spoke to his family in Khurda on the evening of August 25 while travelling by bus near the Tibet border, his brother Sworup Mohapatra said.

"We received information about the devastation on August 26, and since then, we have been unable to reach out to my brother and sister-in-law," Sworup said.

The couple has a son residing in Odisha, he said.

via PTI

Nepal floods LIVE updates: Detailing a fresh update on the status of missing Indian nationals in flood-hit Nepal, ministry of external affairs on Thursday said that 285 Indians are still uncontactable, while 33 workers of the Trishuli-I project and another group of 21 from Tamil Nadu have been rescued.

Nepal floods LIVE updates: Eleven persons from Gujarat remain missing in flood-hit Nepal, with authorities establishing contact with one woman who was earlier reported untraceable but was found to be safe later, officials said on Wednesday.

The Gujarat State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) had earlier received information that 12 persons from the state were missing following the devastating floods in Nepal.

Relatives had called SEOC and district emergency centres to share information about the people who were untraceable after the flood.

However, authorities later established contact with Roma Dilipbhai Intwala, a resident of Valsad, and found that she was safe in Nepal, reducing the number of missing persons from Gujarat to 11, according to an official status report shared by the SEOC.

via PTI

Nepal floods LIVE updates: As rescue and relief operations continued in flood-ravaged Nepal, climate experts and activists on Thursday said the scale of the disaster has overwhelmed existing response capacity, with affected families in the worst-hit districts struggling for food, shelter and access to relief.

Binod Prasad Parajuli, executive director of the Climate Risk and Resilience Lab in Nepal, said that the government has been responding, but the scale of devastation exceeds the existing response mechanisms and capacities, which aren't able to meet the extent of the damage and loss.

"The government of Nepal and related stakeholders' first priority is saving lives. Within that response window, the government, security forces, local authorities, and other stakeholders are working to locate any citizens who might still be trapped and alive. To do this, drone teams have been deployed from Kathmandu and are in the field trying to locate trapped individuals using thermal and optical cameras," Parajuli, who is currently leading efforts with the Nepal PMO and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) said. - PTI

Nepal floods LIVE: Nepal Tourism Board on Thursday said that 667 people are missing after Wednesday's flash floods. The missing people include 11 Indian nationals as well. The board also shared helpline numbers as rescue operations continue to locate the missing people.

Nepal floods LIVE: Prime Minister of Nepal Balendra Shah on Thursday visited the Army Training Centre at Battar Bazar in flood-affected Nuwakot district to take stock of the prevailing situation and review ongoing search and rescue efforts following the devastating flash floods that have caused widespread destruction across the country.

The Prime Minister's visit comes as one of the worst-affected areas of Nuwakot continues to grapple with damaged infrastructure, blocked roads, displaced residents, and ongoing efforts to locate people feared trapped beneath mud and debris.

The Devighat area of Nuwakot, one of the worst-hit locations, has suffered extensive damage, with raging floodwaters severely damaging roads, rupturing buildings and leaving several neighbourhoods homeless, according to accounts from residents speaking to ANI from the ground.

Resident Janak Bahadur Nepali said his house was destroyed in the flooding and that residents were facing difficulties arranging food and shelter.

via ANI

Nepal floods LIVE: Catastrophic flash floods in a border area of China and Nepal have killed at least 353 and left more than 1,300 people missing as of Thursday. Many were foreigners in the area for trekking, guided tours or a pilgrimage to a sacred Hindu site.

The number of missing from Wednesday's disaster may vary across agencies because of differences in how they collected data, when it was reported and how it was verified, as well as gaps in coordination between those assembling data and those conducting rescue efforts in the affected area.

The people reported to be missing are from these countries: Nepal. China, India, US, Ukraine, Malaysia, Britain, Canada, Australia, South Korea, Singapore, Germany, Russia, South Africa, Latvia, Japan, New Zealand, France, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Portugal, Ireland, Netherlands, Belarus, Finland, Hungary, Israel, Lithuania, Philippines, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Serbia and Sweden.

via AP

Nepal floods LIVE: The administration has sounded a high alert in Maharajganj and Kushinagar districts of Uttar Pradesh, while stepping up the monitoring of the Gandak and other water bodies downstream of rivers in Nepal, following devastating flash floods in the neighbouring country that have killed at least 177 people and left thousands missing.

The administration in Uttar Pradesh, which shares its northern borders with Nepal, has said its focus is on continuous river monitoring, alerting vulnerable villages and keeping relief-and-rescue teams ready for any possible flood situation.

The Nepal floods triggered after an ice-rock landslide blocked a river near the country's border with China. The floods have affected several districts and left at least 826 people missing, according to Nepal's disaster management authorities.

via PTI

Nepal floods LIVE: Three bodies, including those of two women, were recovered from the Gandak river in Uttar Pradesh's Maharajganj district on Thursday after they were apparently swept downstream from flood-hit Nepal, officials said.

A rescue team of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), while monitoring the river and adjoining areas, spotted the bodies being carried by the strong current, they said.

The team used a motorboat to retrieve the bodies and sent them to the mortuary at the district headquarters, officials informed further.

The identities of the deceased were not immediately known. Necessary procedures are being carried out to establish their identities, while the SSB and district administration are in touch with the authorities concerned in Nepal to trace their relatives, they said.

SSB Inspector Arun Pandey said three bodies believed to have been swept into the Gandak from Nepal had so far been recovered in Indian territory.

The river is flowing rapidly following heavy flooding in Nepal and more bodies could potentially be swept into Indian territory, Pandey said.

via PTI

Nepal floods LIVE: Two tourists from Tiruchirappalli who travelled to Nepal as part of a Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage group have gone missing following floods in the country, with their families making emotional appeals to the authorities for information about their whereabouts.

Vimala Ravi (49), a resident of Saraswathi Garden in Srirangam, Tiruchirappalli, had travelled to Nepal through a Chennai-based private travel agency along with a group of 49 people for the pilgrimage.

According to the travel agency staff, Vimala Ravi had last contacted them and informed them that she was heading to the immigration office. Since then, there has been no information about her.

Her family members said they have been unable to establish contact with her for the past two days and urged the Central Government to intervene and provide details about her safety.

Speaking to ANI, Vimala Ravi's brother Satheesh said, "My sister had gone to Nepal for the Kailash Yatra. She contacted us around 8 am yesterday and said that she was at the Chinese immigration office. After that, we have not been able to contact her. The Central Government should clearly inform us about what happened to her. Not being able to reach her for two days has caused great fear and anxiety among us."

Vimala Ravi's daughter Madhumitha said her mother had left for Nepal on August 14 and was expected to return home on Thursday.

"It is extremely painful for our family that she has been caught in the floods. We have been unable to contact her for two days and are going through immense anguish," she said.

Vimala Ravi's husband Ravi said the travel agency informed the family that they were unable to establish contact with the entire group.

"The travel agency has informed us that they are unable to establish contact with the entire group. We have no information about what has happened to my wife even at this moment. We appeal to the Central Government to immediately provide us with information about her condition," he said.

via ANI

Nepal floods LIVE: A lake formed at the site where the flood in Nepal occurred is rising and is at risk of bursting, the country's disaster authority said on Thursday, as it appealed to residents and rescuers to stay away from the river banks.

The blockage of a river on Wednesday led to the lake's formation, the authority said.

Nepal floods LIVE: At least 353 people have been killed so far, AP reported citing police officials. Nearly 800 have been declared missing after floods hit Nepal's Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers. About 100 missing Indian nationals have now been located, news agency Reuters reported citing authorities.

Nepal floods LIVE: Nepal authorities have issued a fresh flood warning in Bhotekoshi river, citing satellite images which showed a lake had been formed at the site where the flood in Nepal occurred. The lake is rising and is at risk of bursting, the country's disaster authority said on Thursday, as it appealed to residents and rescuers to stay away from the river banks.

The blockage of a river on Wednesday led to the lake's formation, the authority said.

Nepal floods LIVE: The death toll in Nepal flash floods has risen to 332, local media reported, amid the ongoing rescue operations after flash floods struck parts pf Nepal bordering Tibet on Wednesday.

Nepal floods LIVE: More than 40 charter flights by private helicopters have taken off from Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport on Thursday to carry relief supplies to flood-affected areas of Nepal, including Rasuwa, authorities said.

The flights were coordinated and managed by the Nepal Army, with its 14th battalion stationed at the airport overseeing the transportation of relief materials from a collection centre to private helicopters, the Kantipur newspaper reported.

The flash floods have caused widespread devastation across three districts of Nepal, with the death toll rising to 270 after 93 more bodies were recovered, Nepal Police said on Thursday.

According to an official at the Kathmandu Airport Office, more than 40 private helicopter charter flights had been completed by 2 pm, while over 20 helicopters remained on standby at the airport, Kantipur reported.

The Nepal Ministry of Home Affairs was also preparing to mobilise some of the helicopters stationed at the airport for rescue and relief operations in the affected areas, it said.

Nepal Army helicopters have also been making regular flights to flood-hit areas to rescue civilians and transport relief materials, according to the report.

via PTI

Nepal floods LIVE: "I am unable to focus on my studies. My family is safe in Kathmandu, but some of my relatives live near the border of the affected area, and we are worried about them," said Bikas, a Delhi University student from Nepal, as he continuously checked his phone for updates on the devastating flash floods back home.

The flood surged through the Bhote Koshi River, affecting Rasuwa and Dhading districts bordering Tibet. The floodwaters later spread to Nuwakot and Chitwan, damaging at least four permanent bridges and several temporary ones.

While many students' immediate families are safe in Kathmandu, they expressed concern for relatives living closer to the affected areas and relied on updates from their families.

"My family lives in Kathmandu, so they are safe, but some of my relatives live near the border of the area where the flooding has occurred. They are not exactly in the affected region, but we are still worried because the situation is uncertain," said Suyog Bansal, a DU student from Nepal.

Another student, Nitya from JNU, said her family in Kathmandu informed her that her brother's friend is missing and they are trying to connect with him.

"My brother's friend had gone near the area that is flood-affected, and my brother told me that he's not able to connect with him. My family in Kathmandu has been in touch with his family and updating me. We are all worried because we do not know how the situation will develop," she said.

The students noted that being away from home made the situation more challenging, particularly as they depended on phone calls and messages for information.

"Whenever there is news of a flood, the first thing I do is call my family. They tell me that everyone is fine, but it is still difficult to concentrate on studies when you know your relatives are living close to an affected area," said Bikas.

via PTI

Nepal floods LIVE: India on Thursday dispatched second batch of relief material to flood-hit Nepal.
“The second consignment of 37.5 tonnes of HADR material, medicines and food packets has been handed over to Mr. Mahabir Pun, Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation to support Nepal’s flood relief and rescue efforts,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

Nepal floods LIVE: Nearly 1,500 people are missing, including over 700 tourists, after the deadly Nepal-Tibet floods, news agency Reuters reported.

Nepal floods LIVE: The ministry of external affairs has set up a control room in view of the situation in Nepal in the aftermath of floods.

Nepal floods LIVE: Amid heavy flooding in Nepal that has killed at least 270 people, the ministry of external affairs on Thursday said that over 288 Indian nationals remain uncontactable and also provided information on those rescued. Citing preliminary data, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in a briefing that the 288 Indian nationals that remain out of contact, include 73 people working on the Trishuli 1 power project; two separate groups of 37 and 49 nationals from Tamil Nadu, who travelled for the Amarnath Yatra through Samrat and Fly Everest Travels.

A group of 32 nationals from West Bengal who travelled with the help of Samrat Travels to Rasuwa district; a group of 61 Indian nationals from different states who travelled through Richa Tours; and a group of 33 Indian nationals from Kerala, also remain uncontactable. Read full report here

Nepal floods LIVE: Survivors who managed to escape the devastating flash floods on Wednesday are now looking for their kin who have been missing since the disaster struck. "We have been showing their pictures to people and asking if anyone has seen them," Lipa Sapkota said as he stood outside the emergency section of Bharatpur Hospital with a photograph of her brother, Sabi, missing since Wednesday morning.

"There were some dead bodies, but they were not easy to identify because of their condition," Sapkota told the Setopati.com news portal.

via PTI