A massive flash flood struck the northern Rasuwa district of Nepal on Wednesday morning, August 26 at approximately 9:00 AM local time. The disaster unfolded when a sudden, violent surge of water rushed down the Bhote Koshi River from the Tibetan side of the border. At least 16 people have died in the flash flood that swept through two central Nepal districts bordering Tibet, causing extensive devastation at settlements along the river and damaging at least a dozen hydropower projects early Wednesday.
Several videos have gone viral on the social media that showed the exact moment when the flash flood hit Nepal’s Rasuwa and Dhading districts. The flood surged through the Bhote Koshi River at around 9 am (local time) coming from the Tibet side affecting Rasuwa and Dhading districts bordering Tibet and Nuwakot district, southwest of Kathmandu, officials said.
Exact moment when flash flood hits Nepal
Experts are of view that the flooding was not caused by local rains in Rasuwa but possibly because of the heavy rainfall or avalanche on the Tibetan side, they said, but the exact cause is yet to be ascertained.
In the wake of the flash flood, several downstream districts, including Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading and Chitawan, have been placed on high alert even as officials started search and rescue operations with the help of Nepal Army in the affected areas.
The sudden rise in water caused widespread destruction in Timure in Rasuwa district and the nearby Syafrubesi area, with vehicles, goods and other property washed away, the Nepal Army said in a statement.
The most affected is Rasuwa, about 125 kms northeast of Kathmandu, situated near the Tibet border. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRM) of Nepal, in a statement, called people residing near river banks of Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Chitawan and Gorkha to remain on high alert and take safety measures until further notice.
Flooding was not caused by rainfall in Rasuwa
As per the updates from the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Wednesday’s flooding was not caused by rainfall in Rasuwa. The flooding did not appear to have been caused by heavy rainfall in Rasuwa itself, according to Dinkar Kayastha, information officer at the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology.
In the flash flood, four Armed Police Force (Paramilitary) personnel have gone missing from Rasuwa after the flash flood, said Netra Bahadur Karki, Armed Police Force spokesperson. A team of 16 health personnel, including five doctors, have been dispatched to the affected area in Rasuwa for medical treatment of those injured.
Apart from this, the devastating flood has swept away a bridge in Gajuri of Dhading district. Five drones have been mobilised to help rescue and relief works. Three sniper dogs too have been dispatched to the affected area for locating the missing persons. Last year too, two catastrophic floods hit Bhotekoshi, wreaking havoc in Rasuwa killing at least 10 people.
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