At least eight killed as Nepal flash flood damages roads, energy facilities

Authorities say casualties could be much higher, alongside heavier losses of property.

Nepal sent helicopters to the rescue after a huge flash ⁠flood swept away villages, killing at least eight people and damaging roads, bridges and power projects in areas near Tibet, authorities said.

The waters were too high for helicopters to land in Nepal’s affected areas of Syapru Besi and Timure in the mountainous district of Rasuwa, with a population of about 50,000, officials said on Wednesday.

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“There could be heavy casualties or loss of property,” district administrator Narendra ‌Pariyar told the Reuters news agency. “But I cannot say for sure now.”

Pariyar urged those living on the banks of the Bhote Koshi River in the area to seek higher ground, pointing to reports that nearby villages and infrastructure project sites were washed away.

Across the border, Tibet reported “major casualties” with people missing in the neighbouring county of Gyirong after a mudslide ⁠hit a land crossing between China and Nepal, the Xinhua official news agency said.

The mudslide hit China’s Gyirong port, cutting off roads, communications and power in the Shigatse region, Xinhua added, without giving details.

President Xi Jinping urged “all-out” efforts to search ⁠for the missing, and ⁠called for strengthening monitoring and early warning systems to prevent secondary disasters.

Electricity supply disrupted

As the flood swept through Nepal’s northern Rasuwa district, videos shared by Nepal Police and others on social media showed torrents of muddy water crashing through mountain valleys.

Prime Minister Balendra Shah convened an emergency meeting of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority to take stock of the situation.

“Work has started to take necessary steps in coordination with the medical team, scouts, and Red Cross,” Shah said in a social media post.

Damaged property and flooded roads following a flash flood in Galchhi in the Dhading district, Nepal [Reuters]

The Nepal Army said it had deployed helicopters and disaster response personnel to the affected area.

“The work of collecting details of the damage is under way,” it said in a statement.

The Nepal Electricity Authority said about 430 megawatts of production capacity, including from hydropower and solar facilities, have been damaged.

“The disaster has damaged the production, transmission and distribution facilities of the Authority … resulting in disruption of electricity supply,” it said.

Several highways were also closed, authorities said.

The ⁠Bhote Koshi River originates in Tibet ⁠and empties into Nepal’s Trishuli River that eventually flows into India as the Gandak River.

A flood last year in the Bhote Koshi River killed nine people, ‌with 24 missing, and washed away the “Friendship Bridge” linking Nepal and China, disrupting transport and trade for several months.

That flood ‌was ‌triggered by the draining of a supraglacial lake in Tibet, a regional climate monitor said.

Monsoon rains from June to September regularly trigger deadly floods and landslides across South Asia.

Scientists say climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events in the region.