Kathmandu [Nepal], August 26 (ANI): Nearly 400 pilgrims, including more than 100 Indians traveling for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, have lost contact at the Rasuwagadhi checkpoint following flash floods early Wednesday that destroyed roads, damaged critical infrastructure and swept through villages along the Nepal-China border in Rasuwa and Dhading districts bordering Tibet.
The Kathmandu Post reported that 384 pilgrims, including 291 foreign nationals and 93 Nepali nationals, were scheduled to cross the border on Wednesday. Contact had not been established with most of the pilgrims, except for a few. The affected travelers are clients of various travel agencies.
Among the foreign nationals reported missing following flooding in the Bhote Koshi River in Rasuwa are 105 Indians and 37 non-resident Indians (NRIs), according to the Nepal Tourism Board. The figures are based on preliminary agency-wise records received from tourism and travel companies.
Authorities said efforts were underway to establish communication with the pilgrims and assess their safety and condition.
“Following the sudden flash flood in the Bhote Koshi River in Rasuwa at around 8:30 a.m. (local time) on Wednesday, Nepal Tourism Board, Tourist Police and tourism stakeholders are working to verify the whereabouts and safety status of tourists and travelers who were in or traveling through the affected areas,” the Nepal Tourism Board said in an update on X.
“A preliminary agency-wise record received from tourism and travel companies has identified 384 travelers, including 291 foreign nationals and 93 Nepali nationals, who were reported missing from the affected areas. The information is being verified and cross-checked in coordination with travel agencies, guides, local authorities and security agencies,” it said.
The Kathmandu Post reported that security forces, including the Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and Nepali Army, had been heavily mobilized for search-and-rescue operations, with 14 helicopters being used in the effort.
Nine Armed Police Force personnel stationed at Timure near the Nepal-China border were also reported missing.
Major damage was reported in local market areas and at security posts, while roads and other infrastructure were destroyed by the flooding.
Authorities urged residents living near the Trishuli River to stay away from riverbanks and move to safer ground. The Kathmandu Post reported that officials expected the impact of the flood to weaken as the waters moved downstream.
Drone footage from Nuwakot district showed extensive destruction caused by the floods. The epicenter of the disaster remained inaccessible after connecting roads were swept away.
The official cause of the sudden flooding has not been confirmed. However, the Kathmandu Post reported that officials at Nepal’s Flood Forecasting Division had received informal information that a landslide may have blocked a river in Tibet before the swollen river eventually broke through.
The sudden outburst in the Bhotekoshi River, which flows through Rasuwa district along the Tibetan border, has caused extensive damage in the region.
Prime Minister Balendra Shah has called a meeting to discuss the flooding and the government’s response, the report said. (ANI)
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