At least 95 people have died and 403 remain missing in Nepal after the devastating flash flood that hit several towns in the northern district of Rasuwa, on the border with Tibet (China), this Wednesday. The Police raised the death toll to 95 as rescue efforts advanced in the affected area, where the water swept away bridges, roads, markets, and hydroelectric infrastructure.
Of the total of 403 people whose whereabouts are unknown, 62 are Nepali citizens and 341 are foreigners, including two Spaniards. The vast majority of those affected are pilgrims who were traveling to make the route to Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar, enclaves revered by Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains.
According to the official balance from the Nepali authorities, the list of missing foreigners includes 133 Indians, 47 Americans, 34 Australians, 33 British, 24 Canadians, 19 Malaysians, seven Ukrainians, six Singaporeans, six South Africans, five Japanese, five New Zealanders, four Germans, three French, two Irish, two Dutch, two Russians, two Spaniards, and one citizen each from Belarus, Finland, Hungary, Israel, Lithuania, Portugal, and the Philippines, respectively.
Nepal’s Foreign Minister, Shishir Khanal, explained the origin of the disaster to the House of Representatives in Kathmandu: “An earthquake occurred at 8:37 (02:52 GMT) today, and due to it, a large landslide occurred that blocked the river, which seems to have caused the flood.” The subsequent rupture of the blockage in the Bhote Koshi River released an enormous mass of water that strongly hit towns such as Timure, Rasuwagadhi, and Syabrubesi.
The spokesperson for the Nepali Army, Rajaram Basnet, confirmed that at least 29 people have been rescued alive, although he warned: “It is difficult to assess the damage at this moment, but it is possible that both the damage and the number of victims are considerable.” Search efforts continue on the ground with the deployment of six military helicopters and eight private aircraft.
