The death toll from the Bhote Koshi flood in Nepal’s Rasuwa district has risen to 165, while hundreds of people, including security personnel and foreign nationals, remain missing, authorities said.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said 44 Nepal Army personnel, 28 Nepal Police personnel and 13 Armed Police Force personnel deployed in the affected areas remain missing and out of contact. Preliminary figures from the Nepal Tourism Board also showed that 579 people, including 466 foreign nationals and 113 Nepali citizens, were missing.
Rescue teams have evacuated 123 people by air from Timure, including 94 Nepali citizens and 29 foreign nationals. Authorities continue efforts to identify bodies and trace those missing.
The flood struck at around 8.40 am on Wednesday after a debris-laden surge swept through Lhende Khola following a suspected glacier or ice-rock collapse near the Nepal-China border. The flood entered the Bhote Koshi River and moved through Rasuwagadhi, Timure and Syaphru Besi before joining the Trishuli River.
The disaster damaged bridges, roads and other infrastructure, while helicopters, medical teams and relief agencies have been deployed for rescue operations. Authorities have set up temporary shelters and are providing food, drinking water and medicines to affected people as efforts continue to restore essential infrastructure and relocate displaced families.
