Kathmandu: The death toll from a massive flash flood in Nepal’s Bhote Koshi River reached 95 by Wednesday evening, as the disaster caused widespread loss of life and extensive damage to infrastructure, the Prime Minister’s Office said.
The bodies were recovered from flood-affected areas by 7 pm, while authorities were yet to complete the identification of the victims.
The massive flood, originating in the Tibetan region of China, swept through the transboundary Bhote Koshi River, leaving a trail of destruction in Nepal.
The Nepali government said 44 Nepal Army personnel, 28 Nepal Police personnel deployed at various police posts and 13 Armed Police Force (APF) personnel working in the affected areas remained out of contact.
Likewise, 391 foreign tourists and 93 Nepali tourists remained unaccounted for following the disaster, the Prime Minister’s Office said.
In addition, 60 employees working at various hydropower projects in the affected areas were reported to be out of contact. Some employees of the Rasuwagadhi Customs Office and Immigration Office were also among those unaccounted for.
The massive flood, which struck the Bhote Koshi River in the morning, also caused extensive damage to transport infrastructure. At least 19 motorable bridges and 40 km of paved roads have been damaged, the government said.
Authorities are continuing to collect details of the human and physical losses caused by the disaster.
The Prime Minister’s Office said the government immediately mobilised security agencies and other concerned bodies for search, rescue and relief operations following the flooding.
At around 9 am, authorities placed areas along the riverbanks on high alert and urged residents to remain in safe locations and avoid going near the river.
The flood has caused significant damage in the Nepal-China border region, particularly in Rasuwa, where several government offices, security installations, hydropower facilities and other infrastructure have been affected, the PMO said.
“Soon after news of the flooding emerged, at around 10:35 a.m., World Bank Country Director for Nepal David Sislen informed Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle that emergency assistance of up to NPR 25 billion could be mobilized from various sources,” the secretariat said.
India, Nepal’s southern neighbour, has asked the government to provide a list of essential relief materials urgently required for flood victims, while China has decided to provide immediate cash assistance, it said.
A Cabinet meeting on Wednesday declared the affected local governments in Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading districts as “disaster crisis-hit areas”, paving the way for the mobilisation of domestic and international assistance.
With IANS inputs