Kathmandu, August 26
A massive flood that entered Nepal from the Tibetan side has caused widespread destruction in Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading, with at least seven bodies recovered and dozens of people still missing or out of contact.
The flood entered the Bhote Koshi River in Rasuwa early Wednesday morning, devastating riverside settlements including Timure, Syaphrubesi, Hakubesi, Mailung, Shantibazaar and Betrawati.
The full extent of the damage and casualties remains unclear as communication with several affected areas has been disrupted.
Seven bodies recovered
Bagmati Province Police Chief Deepak Regmi said seven bodies had been recovered so far—three from the riverbank in Nuwakot and four from Dhading.
He said the search for missing people and collection of bodies were continuing.
Local officials in Rasuwa have also reported that several people remain missing.
Uttargaya Rural Municipality Chair Madhav Aryal said local residents were recovering bodies from the river and described the situation as devastating.
He said the rural municipality office itself was swept away and some employees were missing.
Timure devastated
The flood struck Timure at around 8:30 to 9am, according to local representatives.
Ward member Pema Dorje Ghale said residents had little time to react before the flood swept through the settlement.
He said more than 100 houses had been in Timure and that many residents who escaped were waiting for rescue on higher ground.
Ghale said families had been left without food or basic supplies and were surviving on river water while waiting for rescue teams.
41 security personnel out of contact
A total of 41 security personnel—32 from Nepal Police and nine from the Armed Police Force—were initially reported out of contact following the flood.
Nepal Police spokesperson DIG Abi Narayan Kafle said some personnel had subsequently made contact, but 32 remained out of contact at the time of the latest update.
Police facilities in Timure, Syaphrubesi, Rasuwagadhi and Mailung were also damaged.
Nine Armed Police personnel stationed at the Timure Border Outpost were also reported out of contact.
12 people rescued by helicopter
The Nepali Army has so far rescued 12 people from different flood-affected areas of Rasuwa by helicopter.
Four Army helicopters and eight helicopters operated by private companies have been deployed for rescue operations.
Because helicopters could not land in some areas, people were rescued using baskets.
An Army medical team has also started emergency treatment services at the No. 1 Military Training Centre in Trishuli.
Injured people rescued from the affected areas are being airlifted to Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu and taken to different hospitals for treatment.
Hospitals placed on alert
The Ministry of Health has activated the Health Emergency Operation Centre and placed health facilities and medical personnel on alert.
Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital has activated its ‘Disaster Code’, preparing doctors and other staff for a possible influx of casualties.
The hospital has also sent two doctors and one paramedic to the affected area.
Bir Hospital has placed its emergency department, ICUs, ventilators, blood supplies and medicines on standby. A triage system has been prepared to treat patients according to the severity of their injuries.
The National Trauma Centre has sent seven doctors with medicines to the flood-affected area.
Trishuli Hospital remains safe and operational, although two injured people have already arrived there from Tupche. Both suffered leg injuries and are in stable condition.
Flood moves downstream
After devastating Rasuwa, the flood moved downstream through the Trishuli River into Nuwakot and Dhading and towards Chitwan.
In Nuwakot, the flood caused significant damage around Dhunge Bazaar in Bidur Municipality-1, as well as other riverside areas.
In Dhading, the Furke Khola bridge connecting the district headquarters with the Prithvi Highway was swept away. The Keurini-Fosretar bridge, an alternative route to Dhadingbesi, was also washed away.
Authorities have warned people living along the riverbanks in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha and Chitwan to move to safer locations.
The flood has also reached areas around Chitwan, with authorities urging people to remain alert.
14 hydropower projects affected
The flood has affected 14 hydropower projects, including nine operational projects and five under construction.
According to preliminary figures from the Nepal Electricity Authority, the affected projects have a combined capacity of 748 MW.
Nine operational projects with a combined capacity of 354 MW and five under-construction projects with a combined capacity of 394 MW have been affected.
Earlier figures from the Energy Ministry showed that 431.1 MW of electricity had gone out of the system due to flood damage.
Affected projects include Rasuwagadhi, Chilime, Langtang, Upper Trishuli-3A, Trishuli and Devighat, among others.
The authority said the full extent of damage to dams, powerhouses, access roads, transmission structures and other infrastructure will only be known after detailed field assessments.
Government steps up response
Prime Minister Balendra Shah has convened emergency meetings to coordinate search, rescue and relief operations.
The Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police have been mobilised, with additional personnel sent from other districts.
Private helicopters have also been kept on standby, while those involved in emergency rescue operations do not need separate permission to fly.
The government has instructed chief district officers to move people from vulnerable downstream areas to safer locations and is continuing to issue warnings through calls and SMS.
President Ram Chandra Paudel has also called on the government, security agencies, political parties, social organisations and citizens to intensify rescue and relief efforts.
The House of Representatives has suspended the scheduled direct question-and-answer session with the prime minister as the government focuses on the flood response.
Search, rescue and relief operations remain underway, while authorities continue efforts to establish the number of missing people and assess the scale of damage.
