Widespread destruction in Nepal following avalanche and severe floods - Sarmad
A collapse of ice and rock triggered widespread flash floods in Nepal on Wednesday, resulting in hundreds of missing persons and extensive damage to villages and infrastructure.
Local authorities reported that 384 tourists, including 291 from countries such as India, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia, were missing, with an initial death toll of eight.
The Butikhoshi River overflowed around 9 a.m. local time, destroying several villages and roads.
“India and China have been asked to assist us in rescue efforts,” said Sasmit Bhusal, a spokesperson for the Nepalese government, according to The Associated Press.
Dozens of multi-story buildings, trucks, and vehicles were buried under massive amounts of mud in the Nuwakot district, one of the hardest-hit areas.
Authorities warned residents in several regions and urged them to stay away from the banks of the Butikhoshi, Trishuli, and Narayani rivers.
Officials from the Nepal Tourism Board said most of the missing are believed to be Indian tourists and members of the Indian community who were on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a sacred site for Hindus.
ABC News reported that three Americans were among the missing in the incident.
South Korean authorities stated that South Korean citizens working on the construction of a hydropower plant in Nepal were among those reported missing.
The Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also said its embassy in Kathmandu received reports from travel agencies indicating that contact had been lost with 11 Malaysians, who were believed to be in the Rasuwa district, which was severely affected by the floods.
Second flood in 14 months
The same areas experienced similar flash floods last August, when a glacial lake in neighboring Tibet burst due to rising temperatures in the mountainous region. That incident claimed nine lives and damaged critical infrastructure, including a bridge linking Nepal and China.
Experts at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in Kathmandu believe that a collapse from one of the glaciers caused Wednesday’s floods.
Experts noted that the Lindi Khola, a tributary of the Butikhoshi, experienced the highest flood levels.
The Himalayan region, which spans Nepal and several neighboring countries including India, is highly vulnerable to heavy rainfall, floods, and landslides, as temperatures there are rising faster than the global average amid climate change.
Research indicates an increasing frequency of extreme weather events in the region, including heatwaves and heavy rainfall, alongside accelerating glacial melt.
Researchers in Kathmandu found in a study published earlier this year that glaciers in the Hindu Kush-Himalaya region are melting at an accelerating rate, with the rate of ice loss doubling since 2000, primarily driven by rising global temperatures and climate change.
