384 tourists missing in sudden floods in Nepal
- Death toll rises to 31
As many as 384 domestic and foreign tourists are missing after sudden floods hit Nepal on Wednesday.
At least 31 people were killed in sudden flooding in the Bhote Koshi River in Nepal’s Rasuwa district on Wednesday. Along with local residents, more than a hundred tourists are also missing in the devastating floods. Foreign tourists are also among the missing.
According to the Nepal Tourism Board, around 384 tourists and travelers have been reported missing. Around 291 of them are reportedly foreign nationals. Security forces and rescue teams are conducting operations to locate the missing people.
The areas of Timure and Syabrubesi near the Tibet border have suffered the most damage from the floods. Homes, roads, bridges and various infrastructure have been damaged by the powerful water currents. Rescue operations have also been hampered as communication systems have been disrupted in the affected areas.
The floods have damaged or disrupted around 430 megawatts of hydropower generation capacity. The disaster has also caused major disruptions to electricity and communication systems.
To deal with the situation, Prime Minister Balendra Shah held a meeting with lawmakers from the five affected districts and instructed them to intensify rescue and relief operations.
Meanwhile, Nepal Telecom and Ncell have introduced temporary free mobile services for their customers in the five affected districts. The World Health Organization has also taken initiatives to send necessary medicines and medical equipment to treat those affected by the floods.
The impact of the floods has also reached the Nepal China border. Floodwaters flowing down from Nepal and landslides have reportedly caused damage in the Gyirong Port area of Tibet in China.
The Nepal Tourism Board has advised tourists to avoid traveling to areas around the flood affected Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers. Rescue operations to save missing tourists and local residents are continuing.
