Authorities in Nepal have issued warnings about potential new flooding and advised residents in flood-affected regions to stay vigilant following a rise in water levels in the Bhotekoshi River. Flood alerts were distributed to individuals’ mobile phones early Sunday as rescue teams cleared a major highway connecting Kathmandu to an area severely impacted by the devastating floods last Wednesday, which resulted in the deaths of at least 800 people and left over 3,000 missing in Nepal and Tibet.
The recent alerts came after Chinese authorities notified Nepalese officials of increased water flow upstream. According to Dharam Raj Uprety, the head of Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, the Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported that a new lake formed after the floods had mostly emptied. However, the ministry cautioned that a crater situated 5.6 kilometers upstream, holding an estimated 1.4 million cubic meters of water, still posed a risk and needed close monitoring.
As of Sunday, Nepal’s disaster agency reported a death toll of 788 with 2,502 individuals missing, while Chinese authorities confirmed 16 fatalities and 546 missing persons on their side of the border. Among the missing are numerous individuals from various countries who were in the region for work, sightseeing, or pilgrimage. In Tibet, Chinese state media disclosed that 261 foreigners, including over 100 Nepalis and other nationals, were unaccounted for.
Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Anita Anand, announced on social media that a previously missing Canadian had been found safe. However, 31 Canadians remain missing, with the number subject to change as more information becomes available. Families in Canada, like Seema Rawla’s, are seeking assistance from the government to locate their missing loved ones in Nepal.
Rescue efforts are actively ongoing at multiple hydropower projects, including a significant operation at the Upper Trishuli complex, where it was reported that around 350 individuals might be trapped inside a tunnel. Approximately 10,000 Nepali troops, along with specialists from China and India, have been deployed for tunnel rescue operations, as confirmed by Uprety from Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.
In the aftermath of the devastating floods, some residents in Nepal’s worst-hit areas are returning to assess the damage to their homes. Meanwhile, at a severely damaged power plant that serves over 20,000 people across four districts, workers have initiated inspections to evaluate the extent of destruction. The Prithivi Highway, a critical supply route for Kathmandu, is partially operational, with ongoing repair challenges in certain sections.
The flash floods last Wednesday were triggered by a glacial collapse in the Himalayan region, causing massive devastation in Tibet and Nepal. Nepal’s Foreign Affairs Minister emphasized the urgent need for global action on climate change, highlighting that despite Nepal’s minimal contribution to global emissions, its population is disproportionately suffering from the impacts of climate change. Scientists have underscored the heightened risk of such disasters in the Himalayan mountains due to rising global temperatures, driven by human activities like fossil fuel consumption.