Over 400 tourists are missing, including travellers from Malaysia, India, the US and the UK.
KATHMANDU: Catastrophic flooding on the Nepali side of the Himalayan border of Nepal and China’s Tibet on Wednesday (Aug 26) killed at least 95 people, with hundreds of tourists missing.
In a still-unfolding disaster, verified videos showed dozens of people swept away, with authorities on both sides fearing far higher casualties and massive destruction.
Initial reports suggested that an earthquake in the area could have triggered an avalanche and caused the floods, Nepal’s foreign minister Shisir Khanal told the country’s parliament.
About 403 tourists – 341 of them foreigners – were unaccounted for several hours after the disaster struck, according to Nepal’s ministry of culture, tourism and civil aviation. Among the missing travellers are people from India, the United States, the United Kingdom and Malaysia.
Over 400 travellers unaccounted for
Some 403 tourists – 341 of them foreigners – remain unaccounted for, Nepal’s tourism ministry said in an update.
Among the foreign nationals are more than 100 Indians, three US citizens and 12 British nationals.
Monsoon season in Nepal
A Singapore-based travel company told CNA that it currently has no tour groups in Nepal.
Mr Ganga B Budhathoki, founder of Brothers International Tours and Trading, said that this was due to the local ongoing monsoon season. Tours in the region run by his company are slated to resume from Sep 12.
Nepal PM urges nation to “stand together”
“The pain and loss you have suffered is not small. But I want to assure you that you are not alone in this difficult time – the state is with you with all its means and resources,” Prime Minister Balendra Shah said in a statement, posted on social media.
“Please be patient. The government takes full responsibility for your rescue, treatment, food and shelter. In times of such a disaster, we all need to stand together.”
A Nepali government spokesperson earlier said Nepal has asked both India and China to aid with rescue efforts.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he had spoken to Shah, and gave his condolences.
“The people of India stand in solidarity with their sisters and brothers in Nepal at this difficult time,” Modi said in a statement.
“India is ready to provide all possible humanitarian assistance to Nepal. Our teams are coordinating closely on rescue and relief efforts.”
The same regions that were hit by floodwaters saw similar flash floods slightly over a year ago when a glacial lake in Tibet overflowed because of high temperatures.
Nine people were killed, and critical infrastructure, including a bridge connecting Nepal and China, was damaged.
Saswata Sanyal, a disaster risk reduction specialist at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, noted that the Lhende Khola river had flooded twice in 14 months.
This was “triggered by an ice rock avalanche from a glacier on the Nepal side that blocked the river and released a sudden surge downstream”, he said.
He noted the importance of early warnings in “a warming Himalaya”.
The Himalayan region, which spans several countries including India, is especially vulnerable to heavy rains, floods and landslides because it is warming faster than the rest of the world due to human-caused climate change.
