Kathmandu, 26 August (H.S.): At least 22 people have been confirmed dead after a devastating flash flood swept through the Bhotekoshi River in Nepal on Wednesday morning. The death toll is feared to rise further. More than 400 tourists, including 105 Indians, have been reported missing since the disaster, while the army, local administration and security agencies are engaged in large-scale relief and rescue operations across the affected areas.

At around 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, a sudden flood struck the Bhotekoshi River in Rasuwa district, near Nepal’s border with Tibet, causing widespread destruction. According to official information, 22 people have so far been confirmed dead. The latest details released by the Bagmati Province Police Office show fatalities across Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading and Chitwan districts.

According to the details, one man died in Rasuwa, while 11 people, including five women and six men, lost their lives in Nuwakot. In Dhading, nine people, comprising five women and two men, were reported dead, while one woman died in Chitwan. Rescue teams have so far evacuated 65 injured people from the affected areas, including 43 from Rasuwa, 19 from Nuwakot and three from Dhading.

Preliminary information suggests that the flood may have been triggered by the possible outburst of a glacial lake on the Tibetan side or a sudden and substantial rise in water levels. The flash flood has caused extensive destruction across the region, sweeping away several villages, roads and bridges. A number of hydropower projects have also suffered significant damage.

The Nepal Tourism Board, Tourist Police and other concerned agencies are coordinating search and rescue efforts for tourists believed to be present in the affected areas.

Following the disaster, 384 tourists have been officially reported missing. According to the Nepal Tourism Board, 105 of those missing are Indian nationals. The board has identified 384 missing travellers, comprising 291 foreign nationals and 93 Nepali citizens.

Preliminary figures indicate that 92 people travelling through Trekkers Society and 71 tourists travelling through Samrat Tour and Travels are among those reported missing. In addition, 55 tourists associated with Leaf Holiday and 52 travelling through Himalayan Glacier, along with tourists travelling through other agencies, remain unaccounted for.

The missing foreign tourists include nationals of India, Australia, the Netherlands, the United States, Malaysia, the United Kingdom and South Africa. The board said the nationalities of some missing tourists have yet to be established.

The Nepal Tourism Board is working with the local administration, security agencies and trekking guides to verify information concerning the missing people. Efforts are also underway to intensify search and rescue operations in the affected areas.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar