Authorities in Nepal have issued a fresh flooding alert, urging residents in affected areas to stay vigilant as the water levels in the Bhotekoshi River have risen. Flood warning messages were sent to people’s phones early Sunday, while rescue teams worked to clear a key highway linking Kathmandu to a severely impacted region following the devastating floods earlier in the week that claimed the lives of at least 800 individuals and left over 3,000 missing in Nepal and Tibet.
The latest warnings were prompted by Chinese authorities notifying Nepalese officials of increased water flow upstream. According to Dharam Raj Uprety, the head of Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, Chinese reports indicated that a newly formed lake post-flood had mostly drained. However, concerns remain about a crater holding approximately 1.4 million cubic meters of water located 5.6 kilometers upstream, requiring ongoing monitoring.
As of Sunday, Nepal’s disaster agency reported a death toll of 788 and 2,502 missing persons, while Chinese authorities disclosed 16 fatalities and 546 missing individuals on their side of the border. Among the missing are numerous foreign nationals who were in the area for various reasons, including work, mountain visits, or religious pilgrimages. Additionally, Canada’s foreign affairs minister confirmed the safety of a Canadian previously reported missing, but 31 Canadians remain unaccounted for, with efforts ongoing to locate them.
Rescue operations are actively underway at several hydroelectric projects, with a significant focus on the Upper Trishuli complex, where around 350 individuals are believed to be trapped inside a tunnel. Nepali and international teams, including troops from Nepal, China, and India, are engaged in the rescue efforts, deploying various resources to assist in the operations.
In severely affected regions like Dhading, residents are returning to assess the damage and salvage what remains of their homes. The critical Prithivi Highway, vital for supplying essential goods to Kathmandu, faces repair challenges in certain sections, despite being partially operational. The catastrophe, triggered by a glacial collapse in the Himalayas, underscores the urgent need for a global response to climate change, with Nepal highlighting its disproportionate vulnerability to environmental impacts despite minimal contributions to global emissions.