Kathmandu, 29 August (H.S.): On the third day after severe flooding in Nepal’s Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers, it remains unclear how many people have been affected by the disaster and how many are missing. However, according to the government’s preliminary technical assessment, around 5,000 people are believed to be uncontactable following the floods.

According to a Home Ministry official, around 5,000 mobile users were active in the area stretching from Gosaikunda in Rasuwa district to the Devighat area of Nuwakot before the floods, but they could not be contacted after the disaster. The preliminary assessment has been made on the basis of data obtained from Nepal’s two major telecommunications companies, Nepal Telecom and Ncell.

According to figures released by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, information has so far been received regarding 1,924 people who are uncontactable. Of these, 933 are employees working at hydropower projects.

The number of foreign nationals reported to be uncontactable following the floods and landslides is also estimated at around 517. However, the situation remains unclear even with regard to these figures. By Friday evening, the Nepalese government had received around 2,000 applications concerning people reported missing or uncontactable.

Those currently uncontactable include local residents of Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts, as well as tourists who had travelled to Gosaikunda. Officials said that disruptions to communication networks in the affected areas, coupled with difficult geographical conditions, were making it challenging to compile complete details of the missing.

The government and security agencies are conducting search and rescue operations across the affected areas. The administration’s immediate priorities are to locate people who remain uncontactable, restore access to affected areas and evacuate those stranded by the floods to safer locations.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar