Nepal flash flood washes away villages, project sites near Tibet border
Prime Minister Balendra Shah said rescue and relief teams, as well as police and the military had been dispatched to help in the aid effort.
On Wednesday morning, a powerful surge of water from the Bhote Koshi River devastated the border town of Rasuwa, near Nepal's Tibet border. The flood, which began around 9 am local time, swept away vehicles, goods and even a recently built bridge, causing extensive damage to the settlement.
Authorities have declared a state of emergency, with the Nepal Army, Armed Police and local police deploying for rescue and relief operations. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRM) has urged residents in riverine areas of Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha and Chitwan to remain on high alert.
The sudden rise in water level was caused by the release of a previously undetected glacial lake, according to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology. No rainfall was reported in the affected areas. The flood's severity is unprecedented, with the district chief of Rasuwa calling it "unusually large".
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