The death toll in Nepal’s Rasuwa flood has significantly risen. According to the latest figures, it has surpassed 360. The number of missing people still remains unclear. Authorities estimate about 1,500, but it could rise because there are reports from various districts about missing people, and transport entrepreneurs have said that dozens of buses carrying pilgrims remain missing.
As security agencies expedite search and rescue operations, there are heartbreaking photos and videos of the bodies. Security forces are retrieving dead bodies downstream of the river, which have surfaced as the water level has gone down. Local authorities have called to expedite the process of collecting bodies. Over 13,000 security force personnel have been mobilized in the flood-affected areas.
It has been revealed that local authorities sent flood warnings over loudspeakers around 8:30 am, but some people did not take the announcement seriously and took time to move to safe places.
In the flood, 668 tourists remain missing, both domestic and foreign. Among them, 327 are women. This is probably the first time in Nepal’s history that such a large number of foreign tourists have gone missing. The Nepal government has published a full list of missing tourists.
The actual cause of the flood still remains guesswork for climate experts. China has rejected complaints from the Nepali side that the Chinese side did not alert them about it. The Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu said: "An earthquake or earthquake-like glacier collapse occurred on the Nepali side, triggering huge mudslides which caused significant casualties."
The panic continues. China's Ministry of Water Resources said that a significant barrier lake has formed near the confluence of the Chhochen Khola and Purepu Tsangpo rivers in Nepal, with its water volume estimated at 2 million cubic meters as of Thursday morning, and the lake is already overflowing. Another 3 million cubic meters of water is expected to flow into the lake over the next three days, posing a high risk of a breach, China Central Television reported Thursday. On the basis of this, Nepali authorities have alerted people living on the river banks.
The economic cost of the flood is high. The devastating floods in the Bhotekoshi River that swept through Rasuwa and downstream areas have left a trail of destruction across Nepal’s vital trade and energy infrastructure, with preliminary government estimates putting the economic damage at more than Rs 200bn. Although the full scale of the destruction is yet to be assessed, as rescue and search operations are currently underway, initial reports indicate that private houses, roads, bridges, hydropower projects, large swathes of cultivable land, electricity infrastructure, commercial goods, and other physical assets have been swept away or severely damaged.
The flood has completely damaged 40 km of roads in Rasuwa. Additionally, a roughly 10-kilometer segment of the road from Galchi to Trishuli remains closed. According to preliminary reports, a total of 41 bridges have been completely damaged due to the flooding. A flood in Rasuwa has knocked over 431 megawatts of electricity off the grid from various projects along the Trishuli Corridor, raising the risk of power shortages in the upcoming winter.
According to the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), the flood caused severe damage to operating projects generating 431 megawatts in the corridor. Spokesperson Rajan Dhakal stated that these projects cannot be rebuilt immediately. The NEA further noted that projects under construction with a total capacity of 470 megawatts also sustained damage. In total, the flood has impacted projects generating around 900 megawatts. It is a serious blow to Nepal’s economy because Nepal was earning money by selling electricity to India and Bangladesh.
There are risks of outbreaks of infectious diseases in the flood-ravaged areas. There is a high probability that waterborne diseases like cholera could spread. The Ministry of Health is under pressure to take preventive measures.
Securing international support for reconstruction remains the biggest challenge facing the Nepal government. It will be the biggest reconstruction task since the deadly earthquake in 2015. But Nepal is not alone; the international community has started announcing support.
The US government on Wednesday expressed its condolences over the deadly floods in Nepal and promised to provide $500,000 in emergency assistance, the State Department said.
“The United States extends its deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in the devastating flash floods in the Rasuwa district of Nepal,” the agency said, adding that Washington is deploying a disaster response advisor to the region while pledging to provide $500,000 to support rescue efforts.
The UK has offered 5 million pounds in aid and emergency responders to Nepal after flash floods killed hundreds of people and left more than a thousand missing, including around 33 British nationals. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the scenes from the country were "devastating" and urged British nationals affected by the crisis to follow the guidance of local authorities.
India is providing HADR materials, medicines, and food packets. As of August 27, a third consignment of materials has arrived in Kathmandu. Other countries are likely to announce financial support for Nepal. The Nepal government, however, has said that it will not be taking direct foreign assistance for search and rescue. The decision comes amid proposals from many countries to send trained rescuers along with helicopters for rescue operations. The Nepal government is mobilizing government and private helicopters for the rescue.
