Kathmandu [Nepal], August 27 (ANI): The death toll in the devastating flash floods in Nepal has risen to 359, while 910 people remain missing or out of contact, as authorities intensify search, rescue and relief operations amid a warning of another major flood threat from a newly formed lake upstream of the Lhende River.
According to the latest "Rasuwa Bhotekoshi Flood Search, Rescue and Relief Update" issued by Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) up to 6:20 PM (local time) on Thursday, 359 bodies have been recovered from eight districts.
The highest number of casualties has been reported in Chitwan, where 132 bodies have been recovered, followed by Nawalparasi East with 82, Gorkha with 30, Dhading with 33, Nuwakot with 28, Tanahun with 22, Rasuwa with 17 and Nawalparasi West with 15.
The Gorkha figure includes various human body parts, according to the NDRRMA update.
Of the 910 people reported missing or out of contact, the figures include 28 Nepal Police personnel, 44 Nepal Army personnel, 13 Armed Police Force personnel, 15 Customs Office personnel and four Immigration Office personnel.
Rasuwa accounts for 161 missing or out-of-contact people, based on information received from the District Emergency Operation Centre (DEOC), while one person has been reported missing in Nuwakot.
The disaster has also left 517 foreign citizens missing or out of contact, while 127 Nepali citizens living abroad who were visiting Nepal have been listed among those affected.
Authorities have reported 73 injured people, including 43 in Rasuwa, three in Dhading and 27 in Nuwakot.
As rescue operations continue, NDRRMA said a total of 13,295 security personnel have been deployed in the affected areas.
This includes 7,250 Nepal Police personnel, 4,200 Nepal Army personnel and 1,845 Armed Police Force personnel.
NDRRMA also said that 716 people were rescued by helicopter, with 69 rescue flights conducted on Thursday.
The helicopter operations also resulted in the rescue of 50 foreign nationals. A further 756 people were rescued by land during the day.
Relief operations have also been expanded, with 10 trucks carrying essential materials, including noodles, biscuits, sleeping bags, mattresses and blankets, sent to affected areas. Communication sets have also been dispatched, while food and non-food items were transported through four helicopter flights, according to NDRRMA.
The intensified rescue efforts come amid a fresh warning of another potentially major flood in the Bhotekoshi River system following the formation of a lake upstream after the Lhende River became obstructed.
According to a special notice issued by Nepal's Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Flood Forecasting Division, information received from China through Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that the river had been blocked at the site where the devastating flash flood occurred on Wednesday.
The obstruction has resulted in the formation of a lake, which the notice said is continuing to rise, creating a risk of an outburst.
"In view of this situation, until further notice is issued, residents of the lower banks of the Bhotekoshi River, passengers, rescuers engaged in rescue operations and all concerned are requested to exercise special caution and stay in safe places away from the river banks and risky areas," the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology said.
Following the warning, NDRRMA said the flow of the Lhende River had been obstructed approximately 18 kilometres upstream of the Rasuwagadhi border, resulting in the formation of a lake covering around 0.11 square kilometres.
"As there remains a risk of another major flood, all concerned parties in the lower coastal areas are urged to exercise necessary caution and remain highly vigilant," NDRRMA said.
The warning has added urgency to ongoing operations in the flood-affected areas, where security personnel and rescue teams are continuing efforts to locate missing people, evacuate those in vulnerable areas and deliver essential relief supplies.
The latest flood warning follows Wednesday's devastating flash floods along the Bhotekoshi River near the Nepal-China border in the Rasuwagadhi area and other parts of Nepal, which caused extensive loss of life and damage to settlements and critical infrastructure. (ANI)
Death toll increases to 359 in Nepal; 910 missing as fresh major flood risk looms from lake outburst upstream
