Nepal floods LIVE: 475 dead, 85 Indians among 117 rescued tourists; Tibet dam burst sparks panic

Nepal floods LIVE: A lake formed by a landslide on the Nepal-China border started to overflow on Friday, triggering panic and putting at risk areas devastated by a flash flood two days ago as rescue efforts were briefly halted.

Wednesday's catastrophic flood caused by a glacier collapse killed 489 people in Nepal and five in China's Tibet, with almost 1,000 more missing in the two countries.

A huge torrent of rock, ice, mud and debris cascaded through Himalayan mountain river systems after the collapse, and also led to the formation of a lake where water continued to collect and rise.

On Friday, the lake's reservoir had topped 2.5 million cubic metres of water, up from the estimated 1.5-2 million cubic metres recorded a day earlier, before overflowing into the Bhotekoshi River, authorities and witnesses in Nepal said.

“We have received a notice saying that the lake has broken its banks," Narendra Pariyar, the most senior bureaucrat in Nepal's flood-hit Rasuwa district, told Reuters. "But we do not know how big it is and how high is its water level. We can see that the level of water in the river is rising.”

People ran to higher ground carrying belongings as announcements were made warning them to stay away from the river and police personnel remained on standby with ropes and stretchers, Reuters witnesses said.

"Everyone started saying 'run', so I ran. The siren in Bidur (town) also went off. I was very scared," Shanti Tamang, 40, told Reuters.

Rescue workers were also asked to move to safer places along with their equipment.

via Reuters

Nepal floods LIVE: A total of 117 tourists have been rescued from flood-affected areas in Nepal, the Nepal Tourism Board said. The group includes 85 Indians, 16 Chinese, nine South Koreans, two Americans and two Italians, while three others remain unidentified.

Nepal floods LIVE: The Nepali Army has deployed an additional 1,200 personnel to speed up the search for missing people and recovery of bodies following the devastating Bhote Koshi floods in Rasuwa.

The troops have been deployed along riverbanks from Rasuwa to Chitwan, taking the total number of Army personnel involved in rescue, relief and body recovery operations to 2,800.

Nepal floods LIVE: A Red Cross official in Nepal said the organisation was “very concerned” about the risk of a secondary flood as authorities continue rescue and relief operations following the devastating flash floods.

Nepal floods LIVE: Bihar's Gopalganj district magistrate Sameer Saurabh said there is no threat of flooding in the district after waters from Nepal passed through the Gandak River without causing damage. He said around 1.5 lakh cusecs had entered the district, but the embankments held firm. The administration is continuing round-the-clock monitoring and has completed preparations for flood management.

His full statement: “As you are aware, Nepal experienced flash floods just a few days ago, and that water has since passed through Gopalganj. At that time, approximately 1.5 lakh cusecs of water entered our district; however, our embankments held firm and remained robust, so there was no adverse impact.”

He said, “The water has now receded. Currently, the discharge from the Valmikinagar Barrage is around 1 lakh cusecs, which is a routine occurrence. We are continuously carrying out embankment maintenance and monitoring work throughout the monsoon season, and night patrols are conducted regularly to ensure there is no dangerous pressure on the embankments and to keep the district safe...people should not panic but simply remain alert. Should the water levels rise, we will inform the public well in advance so they can move to higher ground.”

"Nepal flash flood water entered Bihar via the Gandak River. The floodwaters have already passed through the Gandak River. The current situation is normal. There is no threat of any kind, and no threat is anticipated in the future. All preparations for flood management have been completed," Sameer Saurabh said.

Nepal floods LIVE: A 16-km queue of cargo trucks has formed at the Sonauli border in Uttar Pradesh as Nepal’s flash floods disrupt cross-border trade.

Damaged and flooded roads have delayed vehicles headed to Kathmandu and other parts of Nepal. (PTI)

Nepal floods LIVE: Twenty-eight pilgrims from Visakhapatnam had a narrow escape during the Nepal floods after a landslide struck near the China border. The group, travelling for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, was delayed by a brief stop before their vehicle reached the bridge, allowing the driver to move them to higher ground after a landslide hit.

The pilgrims later reached Kathmandu and were reported safe. Their families are relieved, while the group is expected to return home late Friday.

Nepal floods LIVE: China’s President Xi Jinping has offered assistance to Nepal’s rescue efforts following the devastating floods along the Nepal-Tibet border, Chinese state media reported.

Nepal floods LIVE: Nepal PM Balendra Shah and his ministers will donate one month’s salary to the Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund following the devastating floods. The Cabinet also approved the purchase of 25,000 metric tonnes of DAP fertiliser from India through a government-to-government deal.

The Finance Ministry has been asked to prepare a relief and rehabilitation package for flood-hit individuals and businesses. The decisions came as Nepal faces concerns over fresh flooding following the reported breach of a barrier lake near the China border.

Nepal floods LIVE: China said five people have died and 558 remain missing after flooding along its border with Nepal in Tibet. Chinese authorities said the disaster may have been triggered by a high-altitude glacier collapse in Nepal.

Nepal Police also warned that a water dam on the Tibet side had reportedly burst again, putting rescue teams and residents on high alert. Scientists said the floods highlight the growing risk of glacier-related disasters in the warming Himalayas, although it is too early to directly link the event to climate change. (AP)

Nepal floods LIVE: A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck Sichuan in southwest China.

Nepal floods LIVE: Nepal Police said Friday that 475 bodies have been recovered from the devastating Bhotekoshi floods, while rescue operations continue. Authorities have also evacuated people from Trishuli and halted road and other work amid warnings of rising water levels and possible fresh flooding.

Police said 1,545 people have been rescued, while the Nepal Tourism Board reported 667 tourists and travellers remain missing, including 127 Nepali residents. The Nepali Army has also rescued two workers trapped inside a hydropower tunnel in Rasuwa. (Kathmandu Post)

Nepal floods LIVE: Nepal Police officer P Chaudhary said rescue and other operations in Trishuli have been halted as water levels are expected to rise, with vehicles and people being evacuated to safer locations. “Even worse flooding is yet to come,” he warned.

Nepal floods LIVE: Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) on Friday issued a fresh caution over rising water flow and the risk of further flooding in the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river areas of Rasuwa. It urged rescue and relief workers and people in vulnerable areas to remain highly alert and move to safer locations immediately if they see signs of danger.

Nepal floods LIVE: Nepal Police evacuated people from Trishuli and halted rescue and road work on Friday amid warnings of rising water levels and possible fresh flooding. The alert followed a 5.1-magnitude earthquake in China’s Sichuan province and a police warning that a dam on the Tibet side had reportedly burst again.

Police officer P Chaudhary said, “The water level is about to rise, so everyone is being stopped,” adding that vehicles and workers were being moved to safety. The Nepali Army and helicopter teams continue rescue operations despite difficult terrain and weather conditions.

Nepal floods LIVE: The Nepali Army has deployed a special rescue team to a flood-hit hydropower tunnel in Rasuwa, rescuing two workers so far. Technical equipment and specially trained personnel are being used to search for others trapped inside the tunnel.

Rescue and road-rebuilding operations were later halted after authorities warned of rising water levels and possible fresh flooding, with people in the Trishuli area evacuated to safer locations. Nepal Police also warned that a dam on the Tibet side had reportedly burst again.

Nepal floods LIVE: A lake in Nepal’s Rasuwa district has broken its banks and water levels are rising, district officials said Friday. Authorities had to temporarily halt rescue operations. Helicopter operations were suspended for 90 minutes as residents rushed to higher ground, Reuters reported.

China’s state broadcaster CCTV also reported that a barrier lake upstream of the Gyirong border port had begun overflowing, raising fears of fresh flooding and secondary disasters such as landslides and avalanches.

Nepal floods LIVE: Twenty-one rescued residents from Tamil Nadu have reached Kathmandu ahead of their return to India, the ministry of external affairs said. Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava met the group and checked on their well-being. (ANI)

Nepal floods LIVE: Nepal has set up temporary facilities to store and identify bodies recovered far downstream after the devastating Bhote Koshi floods overwhelmed morgues. Bodies from Rasuwa and Nuwakot have been recovered as far as Chitwan, Tanahun, Nawalparasi and Gorkha.

In Chitwan, authorities are preparing a temporary facility in Bharatpur with space for around 250 bodies, while Pokhara hospitals are also nearing capacity after 93 bodies were brought in from nearby districts. Police are photographing unidentified bodies, collecting fingerprints and DNA samples, and conducting post-mortems to help families identify missing relatives. (The Kathmandu Post)

Nepal floods LIVE: Nepal has warned rescuers and residents to move to safer, higher ground after a dam upstream in Tibet was reported to have burst, police said Friday. The warning comes two days after a glacial collapse triggered deadly floods in Nepal.

“Information has been received that a water dam has burst again on the Tibetan side,” Nepal Police said, as per AFP.

Nepal floods LIVE: Chinese President Xi Jinping chaired a Politburo meeting on Friday to oversee rescue efforts following the devastating mudslide and flash floods along China’s Tibet border with Nepal.

The meeting called for stronger monitoring of glacial and barrier lakes, efforts to locate missing people from China and abroad, emergency aid for affected areas in Nepal and greater international disaster cooperation. (Reuters)

Nepal floods LIVE: Former IPS officer Kiran Bedi has linked the devastation in Nepal to infrastructure development in the Himalayan region. Climate change is weakening permafrost and making large projects more vulnerable, she has said.

She said countries should avoid disturbing the Himalayas and called for regional cooperation among nations surrounding the mountain range to protect the fragile ecosystem.

Nepal floods LIVE: Mahindra chairperson Anand Mahindra expressed solidarity with Nepal after the devastating floods, describing the scenes as “horrific & heart-wrenching”. He backed Nepal’s reliance on its own search and rescue capabilities and said Mahindra, along with its dealer partners in Nepal, would support relief and recovery efforts.

Nepal floods LIVE: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has clarified his use of the word “drama” in a post about the Nepal floods. He used it to describe a situation involving “intensely clashing forces” and not something theatrical, he said.

He said he regrets choosing the word because it could be easily misunderstood.

“That’s the sense in which I intended it. But I do regret the choice of a word that could be so easily misinterpreted.”

His previous post read: “Took off for Katmandu yesterday, blissfully unaware of the drama that had taken place in the hills and caused such catastrophic damage. A severe, sudden flash flood struck northern Nepal’s Rasuwa district near the Tibet border, causing widespread destruction along the Bhote.”

Nepal floods LIVE: Thirty-seven pilgrims from Maharashtra who were stranded in Tibet after completing the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra have left for Kathmandu, following intervention by CM Devendra Fadnavis.

The group left Saga around 6 am via the Nyalam check-post and is travelling safely towards Kathmandu, where they have a flight scheduled for August 29. (ANI)