The flood surged through the Bhote Koshi River from the Tibet side around 9 AM, affecting Rasuwa, Dhading and Nuwakot districts.
Four bodies were recovered from Bidur Municipality in Nuwakot, while the Nepal Army joined search and rescue operations in affected areas.
Officials said the flooding was not caused by rainfall in Rasuwa, with a glacial lake outburst, avalanche or heavy rainfall on the Tibetan side being examined.
A total of 291 foreign nationals, including 105 Indian tourists, have been reported missing after a flash flood swept through Nepal’s Rasuwa district on Wednesday, the Nepal Tourism Board said.
The massive surge entered the Bhote Koshi River from the Tibet side around 9 am (local time), affecting Rasuwa and Dhading districts along the Tibet border and Nuwakot, southwest of Kathmandu. Eight people have died, while settlements, roads, bridges and hydropower projects have suffered extensive damage.
Several downstream districts have been placed on high alert, while security has been stepped up at the Valmikinagar Barrage. Search and rescue teams, assisted by the Nepal Army, have been deployed in the affected areas.
Four Bodies Recovered In Nuwakot
The sudden rise in water caused widespread destruction in Timure in Rasuwa district and the nearby Syafrubesi area, with vehicles, goods and other property washed away, the Nepal Army said in a statement.
The bodies of three men and a woman were recovered from Bidur Municipality in Nuwakot district after the flash flood, a Senior Superintendent of Police and spokesperson at the Bagmati Province Police Office told PTI.
Multiple downstream districts, including Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading and Chitawan, have been placed on high alert. Search and rescue operations have begun in the affected areas with the help of the Nepal Army.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRM) of Nepal urged people living near river banks in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Chitawan and Gorkha to remain on high alert and take safety measures until further notice.
Cause Of Sudden Flood Surge Under Investigation
Officials said the flooding was not caused by local rainfall in Rasuwa. The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology said the flood may have originated from the Tibetan side, with possibilities including heavy rainfall, an avalanche or a glacial event.
Dinkar Kayastha, information officer at the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, said the flooding did not appear to have been caused by heavy rainfall in Rasuwa itself. He said it might have been caused by the formation of a new glacier or the bursting of an old one.
“We are still studying the matter, so the real cause is not yet known,” Kayastha said, adding that the risk of a flood from the Tibetan side had not yet vanished and that people needed to remain cautious.
Investigations are under way to determine whether the sudden surge was triggered by a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) or another factor, The Himalayan Times reported.
Rasuwa Assistant Chief District Officer Dhruva Prasad Adhikari said the scale of the flooding was unusually large and that Timure and Syafrubesi had suffered significant damage.
Hydropower Projects, Trade Infrastructure Damaged
The flood also damaged several hydropower projects and infrastructure in the affected districts.
According to the Independent Power Producers’ Association Nepal (IPPAN), eight operational hydropower projects with a combined capacity of 354 MW, along with five projects under construction in Nuwakot and Rasuwa, were damaged by the floods.
Among the operational projects affected were the 111 MW Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project, the 78 MW Sanjen Khola Hydropower Project and the 60 MW Upper Trishuli 3A project.
Rasuwa Chief Customs Officer Rajendra Dhungana said numerous vehicles and goods kept at the customs premises were swept away. A recently constructed bridge was also destroyed.
Rasuwa, located about 125 km northeast of Kathmandu, is close to the Tibet border and serves as a key point for Nepal’s trade traffic connecting Tibet and China.
The Bhote Koshi River originates in Tibet and flows into Nepal’s Trishuli River, which eventually enters India as the Gandak River.
Last year, the Bhote Koshi was hit by a deadly flash flood that killed nine people and left 24 others missing. The flood also washed away a Friendship Bridge linking Nepal and China. According to Reuters, that flooding was traced to the draining of a supraglacial lake in Tibet by a regional climate monitor.
With the cause of Wednesday’s sudden surge still under investigation and the risk from the Tibetan side not ruled out, authorities have urged people living along downstream river banks to remain alert and move to safer locations if required.
