At least 105 Indian tourists are among 291 foreign nationals reported missing after a sudden flash flood swept through Nepal’s Rasuwa district on Wednesday, according to the Nepal Tourism Board.
The missing foreigners include three US nationals, 17 from Malaysia, 12 from the UK, four from South Africa, one from Australia and one from the Netherlands. The nationalities of another 103 people have not yet been established.
The flash flood struck areas near Nepal’s border with Tibet, killing at least eight people and causing widespread damage to settlements, roads and hydropower infrastructure. At least a dozen hydropower projects were reportedly damaged.
The Bhote Koshi River rose suddenly at around 9 am local time after a surge from the Tibet side. Rasuwa and Dhading districts were affected, while Nuwakot, located southwest of Kathmandu, also reported the impact.
Cause of Flash Flood Yet to Be Confirmed
Officials have ruled out local rainfall in Rasuwa as the immediate cause of the flooding.
Dinkar Kayastha, information officer at Nepal’s Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, said the department was investigating the source of the sudden water surge.
Authorities are examining whether heavy rainfall, an avalanche or a glacial event on the Tibetan side may have triggered the flood.
Kayastha said the possibility of a newly formed glacier-related event or the bursting of an existing glacial feature could not be ruled out.
“We are still studying the matter, so the real cause is not yet known,” he said, warning that the threat from flooding originating on the Tibetan side may not have passed.
Officials have urged residents and others in vulnerable areas to remain alert as investigations continue into the sudden rise in the Bhote Koshi River.
Authorities are particularly examining the possibility of a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) or another sudden release of water from the Tibetan side as the potential trigger. Rescue and search operations are continuing as officials work to establish the identities and whereabouts of those reported missing.
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