New Delhi: CCTV footage from Gyirong Port in Tibet has captured the sudden force of the flash flood that swept through the China-Nepal border region on Wednesday (August 26), with muddy water, rocks and debris rushing through the area before the flood crossed into Nepal’s Rasuwa district.
Over 100 people have died in the disaster, while nearly 500 others are missing. The missing include 133 Indians and 37 non-resident Indians (NRIs), according to the information available from officials. 384 travellers have been reported missing from the flood-hit areas, according to the Nepal Tourism Board. The group includes 291 foreign nationals and 93 Nepali nationals. Among the foreign travellers are 105 Indian tourists and 37 NRIs.
The Nepal Police said the full extent of the destruction is still being assessed across the affected districts. “We do not exactly know the extent of damage, but the flood is big, and it could have damaged many settlements,” Nepal Police spokesman Abi Narayan Kafle told AFP. The disaster has also affected a large number of travellers in the region. Other missing travellers are from the United States, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia and the Netherlands. The pilgrimage route to Kailash Manasarovar attracts visitors from India and several other countries. The flood struck an area used by travellers heading towards the Tibet region, making the disaster especially difficult for families trying to locate missing relatives. The Nepal Army has sent helicopters and disaster response teams to areas affected by the floods. Rescue personnel are working in difficult terrain, with damaged roads and infrastructure making access to some locations difficult.
