Nepal Flash Flood: A massive flash flood has hit Nepal, leaving a trail of destruction. At least 32 pilgrims from West Bengal, including Kolkata, are missing. What is the administration saying? Read the full report for details
Nepal Flash Flood Update: A sudden flash flood has completely devastated parts of our neighbouring country, Nepal. Everything was normal until Wednesday afternoon, but the situation changed in an instant. As of the time of writing this report, the death toll has reached 157.
The worst part is that at least 133 Indian tourists are reported missing. A group of 32 people from Kolkata, including two tour company staff, who were on their way to Mansarovar, are also uncontactable. Reports say many tourists from Bengal are missing in the Nepal floods.
Families in West Bengal worried after Nepal’s devastating flash flood:
We’ve learned that a travel agency in Kolkata had organized a Kailash Mansarovar Yatra for several tourists from Bengal. Among them were residents of Bardhaman, Howrah, and West Medinipur. They have been out of touch since the massive flash flood hit Nepal’s Rasuwa district. The communication lines are completely down.
The group from Kolkata had 30 tourists and two staff members. They were supposed to cross the Tibet border for their journey, but the disaster struck before they could. According to initial information from the Nepal Tourism Board, they have lost contact with hundreds of tourists, including over a hundred Indians, who travelled with various tour agencies. Rescue and search operations are on, but the difficult terrain is making the job very tough. Local authorities fear the situation could get worse.
How did this natural disaster happen?
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reports that a massive landslide near the Nepal-Tibet border created a tremor equal to a 5.2 magnitude earthquake. It’s believed that a glacial burst might have happened along with the landslide. The landslide pushed a huge amount of ice, rocks, mud, and water into a tributary of the Bhote Koshi river. In a moment, the river’s water level rose, leading to a terrible flood. The Rasuwa and Dhading districts are the worst-hit areas. The floodwaters then travelled down the river, affecting several other districts.
This disaster has also badly damaged important infrastructure in Nepal. Many roads and bridges have been washed away. Hydropower projects have also been affected. This has made it even more difficult to reach the affected areas and carry out rescue work.
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