KATHMANDU: At least 162 people have been killed and hundreds remain missing after a devastating flash flood swept through parts of Nepal, destroying communities, roads, bridges and other critical infrastructure.
The disaster struck the Bhote Koshi River in Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts on Wednesday morning, sending a massive surge of water and debris through settlements and infrastructure along the Kathmandu–Kerung trade corridor.
According to Nepal Police, the death toll had risen to 162 by 8:00 a.m. Th
ursday, while dozens of people, including security personnel, remained unaccounted for.A preliminary analysis of satellite imagery by the National Authority for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management indicates that the flood may have been triggered by an ice-rock avalanche approximately 20 kilometres northeast of the Rasuwa-Rasuwagadhi border crossing with China.
The landslide reportedly blocked the Lhende River, a tributary of the Bhote Koshi, before the accumulated water and debris suddenly surged downstream through Timure and into the Trishuli River basin.
The flood caused extensive destruction in areas including Timure, Syafrubesi, Betrawati, Trishuli Bazaar and Devighat.
Authorities have warned residents living along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli riverbanks in Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha and Chitwan to remain on high alert.
The disaster has severely disrupted transportation across the affected region.
At least 19 motorable bridges were destroyed, while approximately 40 kilometres of paved highway became impassable, making it difficult for rescue teams to reach isolated communities.
Authorities have advised residents to avoid the Galchhi-Nuwakot and Syafrubesi roads in Rasuwa, as well as the Mugling-Narayangadh road, until further notice.
The government has also declared Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading disaster crisis areas, allowing emergency relief and rehabilitation measures to be accelerated.
Nepali security forces and private helicopter operators have mounted a major search-and-rescue operation.
The Prime Minister’s Secretariat said 114 people had been airlifted to safety, with the Nepali Army accounting for 85 of the rescues.
The army evacuated stranded people from locations including Timure, Mailung, Betrawati and Trishuli before transporting them onwards to Kathmandu.
Private helicopter companies rescued another 29 people, including injured victims who were taken to hospitals in Kathmandu.
Authorities have also called on helicopter and drone operators to coordinate their operations with district administrations, security agencies and local governments.
Stranded residents have been advised to light fires or create smoke signals to help rescuers locate them.
The flood has left a large number of people unaccounted for, raising fears that the death toll could increase significantly.
Nepal Police said 28 police officers remain missing, while authorities are continuing efforts to establish the whereabouts of residents, travellers and workers caught in the disaster.
Hospitals across the region are treating dozens of injured survivors, with 41 people reported to be receiving medical treatment at various facilities.
International assistance is already being mobilised as Nepal confronts the scale of the disaster.
The World Bank has indicated that up to Rs 25 billion could potentially be mobilised in emergency assistance from various sources.
India has requested a list of urgently required relief materials and is preparing assistance for the affected communities.
China has also pledged immediate cash assistance, with its ambassador directing the Finance Ministry to begin the necessary process for transferring the funds.
The Nepalese government said the assistance would be coordinated through the relevant agencies to support rescue operations, medical treatment, relief distribution and rehabilitation.
The disaster comes as Nepal continues to experience monsoon conditions, with authorities urging communities living near major rivers and vulnerable areas to remain vigilant as rescue and recovery operations continue.
