Nepal floods highlights: Several Indian nationals missing, death count crosses 150, helplines issued

New footage shows people scrambling up hillsides near Betrawati to escape rapidly rising floodwaters.

The videos capture residents fleeing through trees as water rushes through the valley and engulfs homes along the Trishuli River.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says it has mobilised and sent essential emergency medical supplies to flood-hit areas in Nepal.

The UN agency is also providing medicines and multipurpose tents while monitoring public health risks and disease outbreaks.

Nepal’s Prime Minister’s Office says army search and rescue operations will continue through the night, with 1,697 personnel deployed and another 656 on standby.

Six military helicopters rescued 94 people, while civilian helicopters rescued 12 and ground teams rescued 27. More people stranded above Timure are expected to be evacuated by air on Thursday morning.

BBC reports that Nepal Police have said 157 bodies have been found across the country following the floods.

The latest update gives a clearer picture of the scale of the disaster as rescue teams continue to search affected areas.

As of late Wednesday night, 123 people has died from the floods in Nepal. In many places, entire settlements have been “wiped out.”

Nepal flash floods LIVE: A massive flood and landslide disaster on the Nepal-Tibet border killed at least 103 people on Wednesday and left several hundred missing, many of them foreign tourists, news agency AFP reported. Workers who have been providing aid at affected sites reportedly said that entire establishments were “wiped out”.

Nepal flash floods LIVE: International aid efforts launched Wednesday to send help to Nepal hours after deadly floods near the Tibet border, with aid workers warning that entire settlements had been wiped out.

The floods and landslides sent a wall of water and debris crashing down a river between China and Nepal, burying buildings in mud.

"Entire villages and market areas have been wiped out," David Fisher, the Nepal head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said in a statement.

The IFRC said it had released $1.4 million (1 million Swiss francs) in emergency funding to support relief operations.

Initial assistance includes drinking water and emergency supplies such as blankets, first aid kits, stretchers and body bags, it said.

"The priority now is to reach affected communities and get assistance to people who have lost their homes, suffered injuries or have been cut off," Fisher said.

The European Union said it had activated its Copernicus satellite surveillance system to help recovery efforts after the floods in Nepal, and was ready to provide more help, while the World Health Organisation said it had dispatched emergency medical supplies.

Neighbouring India sent an initial 10 tonnes of humanitarian assistance, including blankets, solar lamps and medicines, New Delhi's Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said.

India's Air Force said further military transport aircraft would carry more relief supplies, with "helicopters earmarked for rescue and evacuation operations".

via AFP

Nepal flash floods LIVE: Spiritual leader Sadhguru on Wednesday said one of the Kailash groups associated with his organisation was caught in a flash flood in Gyirong, Tibet-China, and efforts were underway to assist in rescue operations.

He said 77 people from the group were at an immigration centre when the flood occurred.

In a post on X, Sadhguru said, “A terrible and tragic flash flood has taken place at Gyirong in Tibet, China, and one of our Kailash groups was caught in it. While on their way back, they were at the immigration office when the flood occurred, and the building and much of the town seems to have been flooded. All of us, including the volunteers and support teams, are deeply anguished and are doing our utmost to assist in the rescue. There has been no official information on the whereabouts of any of the people who were at the immigration office. We are working with the authorities to see if we can get to the location and stand ready to be part of the rescue efforts, regardless of the risk involved.”

Nepal flash floods LIVE: Nearly 5,000 people from six districts of Bihar have so far been evacuated, while the authorities planned to evacuate a total of 10,000 to 12,000 people, news agency Reuters reported, citing officials.

Nepal flash floods LIVE: China's official Xinhua news agency said the mudslide hit the Gyirong port, cutting roads, communications and power links in the Shigatse region near the border.

The Chinese military has dispatched drones to conduct damage assessments, a statement said, adding it was organising transport aircraft, helicopters and other equipment to be on standby for rescue operations.

A rescuer interviewed by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said they had been trying to establish contact with the Gyirong border port but "so far there haven't been any results". All roads leading to the border crossing had been "completely destroyed" after a preliminary inspection with a drone, the rescuer added.

via Reuters

Nepal flash floods LIVE: The missing foreign travellers included more than 100 Indians, three US citizens and 12 British nationals, Nepal's tourism ministry said, Reuters reported.

Nepal flash floods LIVE: While it’s still unclear where the avalanche originated from or what set it off early on Wednesday morning, scientists and researchers suspect the destruction may have been triggered by a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF).

A number of GLOFs have sparked widespread destruction across the Himalayan belt and destroyed cities and towns nestled in the ranges over the past few years, including the devastating October 2023 floods in Sikkim.

A glacier, over the years, accumulates rock and debris. When a glacier begins melting and retreating, it carries with it much of this rubble. This eventually collects at the glacier's lowest point, known as its snout, and forms what becomes a wall of rock, rubble and debris. This wall, called a moraine, holds back a lot of the glacier’s melted water, forming a glacial lake.

When the moraine gives way, the lake empties in minutes – making it a GLOF.

A GLOF carries with it not just a torrent of water, but pushes boulders, silt and ice down steep slopes at high speeds. The debris and mud, not the water, causes the most damage downstream. All you need to know about GLOF

Nepal flash floods LIVE: The before-and-after satellite images captured by Planet Labs, offer a stark comparison of several areas in Nepal before and after the flash floods, highlighting the extent of the devastation. Click here to view the before and after of Nepal floods

Nepal flash floods LIVE: Houses, roads and power projects were swept away in Nepal, while officials in Tibet said they feared "major casualties", with some people missing in the county of Gyirong after a mudslide hit a border land crossing.

“It was a huge gush of mud coming straight towards us. As it got closer, it kept rising higher and higher. When I saw it enter our home, I tried to grab my wife’s hand and take her to the terrace. But she was swept away by the mud," said Keshav Prasad Baral, a 68-year-old survivor, who was being treated at a small hospital.

"Four or five hours later, a helicopter came to rescue me. My wife is still somewhere beneath the mud. She's gone."

Another survivor described being saved by clinging to a mango tree as he watched the house where he had been working disappear.

via Reuters

Nepal flash floods LIVE: The Telangana government on Wednesday set up a helpline and coordination centre at Telangana Bhavan in Delhi to provide necessary assistance to citizens of the state whose relatives may be stranded or affected in Nepal due to devastating floods in the Himalayan nation.

The helpline has been set up following a directive from Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, an official release said.

The government is closely monitoring the situation, and Telangana Bhavan, New Delhi, has been directed to coordinate with the Ministry of External Affairs, the Embassy of India in Kathmandu and other concerned authorities, as may be required, for facilitating necessary assistance to Telangana residents, it said.

via PTI

Nepal flash floods LIVE: India has sent humanitarian aid to Nepal following the devastating floods, with relief material including temporary shelters, blankets, hygiene kits, solar lamps and medicines.

Nepal foreign minister Shisir Khanal thanked External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and the Indian government for the assistance, saying India's swift response reflects the strength of the bilateral partnership and mutual solidarity.

Nepal flash floods LIVE: Nepal PM thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for India's assistance after flash floods caused widespread damage in Nepal. He also thanked Modi for his call and said the gesture reflected the enduring bonds of friendship between the two countries.

“Thank you very much, Prime Minister Modi, for your kind call and deep condolences. We deeply appreciate your warm words of solidarity and your generous offer of assistance to Nepal during this difficult time. This gesture of solidarity is a reflection of the enduring bonds of friendship between our two countries, which we profoundly value,” the Nepal PMO wrote on X while sharing PM Modi's post.

Nepal flash floods LIVE: Jal Shakti minister CR Paatil said that people living near river banks have been evacuated as a precautionary measure. “To prevent any major damage, people living in villages along both banks of the river have been evacuated and shifted to safer locations. Work is underway, but the sudden arrival of a large volume of water has certainly created a problem,” Patil said.

Nepal flash floods LIVE: Indian Embassy in China has shared helpline numbers for Indian nationals who may have been stranded in areas around Tibet following the flash floods on Wednesday. The helpline numbers are as follows:

• Chinese officials on the ground: 0086 139 8999 0012
• Embassy of India, Beijing: 0086 185 1428 4905 (can also be contacted through WhatsApp)
• Embassy of India, Kathmandu: +977 985 131 6807, +977 970 910 7500 (Both numbers can also be contacted through WhatsApp)

Nepal flash floods LIVE: A Delhi resident named Seema Raula said her brother Sumit Rawla and sister-in-law Shukabshi Rawal are missing after the devastating flash floods. She said the couple are Singapore citizens and OCI card-holders who were on their way to Kailash Mansarovar. “We want the Nepal embassy to help us. We are unable to get in touch with anyone in Nepal. They were in a village called Tumur which is badly hit. They were supposed to cross the border today," Raula told HT.

Nepal flash floods LIVE: India has dispatched aid to Nepal, including 10 tonnes of HADR assistance and essential medicines, after the Himalayan nation was hit was a devastating flash flood on Wednesday. “Our thoughts are with the bereaved families and all those affected. In face of this challenge, India stands with Nepal and its people,” External Affairs minister S Jaishankar said.

Nepal flash floods LIVE: Spiritual leader Sadhguru on Wednesday said one of the Kailash groups associated with his organisation was caught in a flash flood in Gyirong, Tibet-China, and efforts were underway to assist in rescue operations.

He said 77 people from the group were at an immigration centre when the flood occurred.

In a post on X, Sadhguru said, "A terrible and tragic flash flood has taken place at Gyirong in Tibet, China, and one of our Kailash groups was caught in it. While on their way back, they were at the immigration office when the flood occurred, and the building and much of the town seems to have been flooded. All of us, including the volunteers and support teams, are deeply anguished and are doing our utmost to assist in the rescue. There has been no official information on the whereabouts of any of the people who were at the immigration office. We are working with the authorities to see if we can get to the location and stand ready to be part of the rescue efforts, regardless of the risk involved."

Nepal flash floods LIVE: The overall death toll in Nepal flash floods has risen to 98 with 95 dead in Nepal and three in Tibet.

Nepal flash floods LIVE: A team of 36 people from Kerala touring Nepal was safe and away from the areas affected by the devastating flash floods, a government source said here on Wednesday.

The Chief Minister's Office was in constant touch with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for updates on Indians reportedly missing after the disaster, the source said.

"We could speak to the members of the 36-member team currently touring Nepal. They are safe and away from the areas hit by the flash flood. We are also checking with the MEA to find out whether any person from Keralam is among those reported missing," the source told PTI.

Kerala chief minister V D Satheesan said that the state government was closely monitoring the situation in Nepal.

via PTI

Nepal flash floods LIVE: Three people have died, while 265 are missing after mudslide in Tibet, AFP reported, citing Chinese state media.