Kathmandu, August 27: Nepalese police confirmed on Thursday that the death toll from the catastrophic floods that struck on Wednesday has reached 270. Recovery efforts are ongoing, with bodies being retrieved from several districts affected by the river’s flow.
The severe flooding originated from the Tibetan region of China, devastating areas in Nepal as it surged through the Bhotekoshi River.
According to police reports, the highest number of bodies, 108, were found in Chitwan district in the southern plains, followed by 62 in Nawalparasi East, 27 in Dhading, and 17 in Rasuwa.
The Nepalese government stated that the floods have destroyed residential areas, hydropower projects, customs offices, and electrical infrastructure, leaving over 800 individuals uncontactable.
Meanwhile, the Independent Power Producers Association of Nepal (IPPAN) reported that several workers involved in various hydropower projects are missing.
In the ongoing 216-megawatt Upper Trishuli-1 hydropower project, 76 employees from Andritz Hydro are unaccounted for, with approximately half being Nepalese and the other half foreign nationals.
Additionally, 11 employees from the project developer, Nepal Water and Energy Development Company, are missing, including eight South Korean workers.
In the 111-megawatt Rasuwagadhi hydropower project, 51 individuals are unaccounted for, while eight workers from the 5-megawatt Mailung Khola hydropower project are also missing.
Two employees from Sinohydro, a civil contractor for the 120-megawatt Rasuva Bhotekoshi hydropower project, are reported missing as well.
Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal confirmed that around 300 Indian nationals are missing following the devastating floods, most of whom were pilgrims traveling to Kailash Mansarovar.
Speaking at the NDTV World Anviksha Summit in Kathmandu, Khanal stated that thousands of people remain untraceable after the tragedy in the Rasuwa area, as officials work to assess the scale of the disaster and locate the missing.
Khanal remarked, “In just a few hours, several towns were devastated. Thousands of families have lost their homes and are currently unaccounted for. We are still trying to determine the total damage caused by this disaster.”
He added, “Many foreign nationals, including Indians, pass through the disaster-stricken area for the Mansarovar pilgrimage. We are trying to establish contact with approximately 300 missing Indians.”
The minister noted that contact has been lost with around 500 foreign nationals post-disaster, while rescue and relief teams continue their efforts in the flood-affected areas.
He stated that the Nepalese government is gathering information from various embassies regarding the safety and whereabouts of the missing foreign nationals.
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