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Hans India
10-07-2025
- Climate
- Hans India
Flood alert issued across several districts in Nepal
Kathmandu: Nepal's Department of Hydrology and Meteorology issued a flood alert on Thursday, warning of elevated water levels in the small rivers across several districts. Although major rivers like Koshi, Narayani, Karnali, Mahakali, Kamala, Bagmati, and Rapti in Nepal are presently below critical levels, the threat of localised flooding persists, the local media reported. The districts, including Doti, Dadeldhura, Kanchanpur, Kailali, and nearby regions, are reportedly at risk of sudden floods due to a rise in water levels. Meanwhile, nine people have been confirmed to be dead in the flash floods that struck Nepal's Rasuwa district on Tuesday, according to Nepal Police. Additionally, the search operations for 19 people who have gone missing following the devastating flood are underway. The missing reportedly included 11 Nepali nationals, including two police personnel and six Chinese nationals. The devastating flood wrought destruction in Rasuwa prompting rescue and relief operations to assist those in the flood affected areas. 'We are fully deployed in the field. We rescued more than 150 individuals including 127 foreign nationals and airlifted to Kathmandu,' Nepal's leading newspaper the Kathmandu Post quoted Arjun Paudel, Chief District Officer of Rasuwa as saying. 'Electricity and telephone services are also disrupted in the area, making rescue and other operations difficult. We are currently maintaining limited communication through the Chinese border. Efforts are underway to restore telephone connectivity and resume electricity supply,' Paduel added. He also stated that more than 2000 people remain stranded due to flooding, with only a few days of food remaining. 'Efforts are now focused on delivering food, restoring power and communication lines, and continuing search and rescue operations,' said Paudel. The massive flood had also swept away the Nepal-China Friendship Bridge and several newly imported Electric Vehicles (EVs) parked at the dry port. Furthermore, the flood has extensively damaged four hydropower plants, while local officials report that the dry port has been nonfunctional. Reports suggest that the entire stretch of the Rasuwagadhi–Timure area is severely disrupted. Several road access points have been paralysed, and electricity, internet, and telephone services have been cut off since Tuesday.
The Hindu
10-07-2025
- Climate
- The Hindu
Nepal flash floods: Nine dead, many stranded; rescue efforts underway
Rescue efforts continued on Thursday (July 10, 2025) in Nepal to evacuate people stranded in flood-hit areas, after monsoon rains triggered a river flood in Rasuwa district that left nine dead and nearly 20 missing, media reports said. 'We are fully deployed in the field. We rescued more than 150 individuals, including 127 foreign nationals, and airlifted them to Kathmandu,' Arjun Paudel, chief district officer of Rasuwa, was quoted as saying by the Kathmandu Post newspaper. Mr. Paudel said that electricity and telephone services were disrupted in the area, disrupting rescue and other operations. "We are currently maintaining limited communication through the Chinese border. Efforts are underway to restore telephone connectivity and resume electricity supply,' he said. Search operations Search operations are also ongoing for the 19 people who went missing following the flood on Tuesday morning, Nepal Police said. Those missing include six Chinese nationals and two police personnel. The flash flood that hit parts of Rasuwa district, 120 km northeast of Kathmandu, swept away the "Friendship Bridge" that links the country to China. It also damaged the Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Plant and parts of the Dry Port situated near the Nepal-China border, according to officials. Of the nine people killed in the flash floods, the bodies of eight were brought to Kathmandu for postmortem at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj, the Himalayan Times newspaper reported. One of the victims was identified, and the body was handed over to the family, according to the report. Cause of flood According to National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) Director General Dinesh Bhatta, the flood might be caused by the outburst of a glacial lake situated near the Nepal-China border, as there was no excessive rainfall at that time on both sides of the border. "However, we are studying the real cause of the disaster with the help of experts. The water level at some point rose to 3.5 metres without sufficient rain, which is unusual," he told a press conference.
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Business Standard
10-07-2025
- Climate
- Business Standard
Rescue efforts underway in Nepal after floods kill 9, leave many stranded
Rescue efforts continued on Thursday in Nepal to evacuate people stranded in flood-hit areas, after monsoon rains triggered a river flood in Rasuwa district that left nine dead and nearly 20 missing, media reports said. We are fully deployed in the field. We rescued more than 150 individuals, including 127 foreign nationals, and airlifted them to Kathmandu, Arjun Paudel, chief district officer of Rasuwa, was quoted as saying by the Kathmandu Post newspaper. Paudel said that electricity and telephone services were disrupted in the area, disrupting rescue and other operations. "We are currently maintaining limited communication through the Chinese border. Efforts are underway to restore telephone connectivity and resume electricity supply, he said. Search operations are also ongoing for the 19 people who went missing following the flood on Tuesday morning, Nepal Police said. Those missing include six Chinese nationals and two police personnel. The flash flood that hit parts of Rasuwa district, 120 km northeast of Kathmandu, swept away the "Friendship Bridge" that links the country to China. It also damaged the Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Plant and parts of the Dry Port situated near the Nepal-China border, according to officials. Of the nine people killed in the flash floods, the bodies of eight were brought to Kathmandu for postmortem at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj, the Himalayan Times newspaper reported. One of the victims was identified, and the body was handed over to the family, according to the report. According to National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) Director General Dinesh Bhatta, the flood might be caused by the outburst of a glacial lake situated near the Nepal-China border, as there was no excessive rainfall at that time on both sides of the border. "However, we are studying the real cause of the disaster with the help of experts. The water level at some point rose to 3.5 metres without sufficient rain, which is unusual," he told a press conference.
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Floods sweep away Nepal-China bridge
Stranded people are airlifted during flooding of Bhotekoshi river in Nepal KATHMANDU: Over two dozen people were missing after torrential rain in China's Tibet region triggered a deluge in the Bhotekoshi river, washing away the "Friendship Bridge" that links China and Nepal, officials said on Tuesday. Weather forecasting experts said the flood might have been the result of an overflowing glacial lake in Tibet since there had been no heavy rainfall in the immediate catchment area of the river in the preceding 24 hours. At least 18 people are missing in Nepal while China's official Xinhua news agency said 11 people were unaccounted for on the Chinese side of the mountainous border region. In Nepal, the missing included six Chinese workers and three police personnel, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said on X. It added that eight electric cars were also washed away and a small hydroelectric plant was damaged in the flood. Trade between Nepal and China was disrupted because of the bridge's destruction, officials said. The missing Chinese nationals were working at the Inland Container Depot being constructed with Chinese assistance about 80 km north of the capital Kathmandu, said Arjun Paudel, a senior administrative official of Rasuwa district. China has been increasing its investment in Nepal in recent years in domains including roads, power plants, and hospitals. (This is a Reuters story)
Express Tribune
08-07-2025
- Climate
- Express Tribune
Eight dead, dozens missing as floods destroy Nepal-China friendship bridge
A member of the Nepalese army airlifts people stranded during the flood at Bhotekoshi river, Nepal, July 8, 2025. PHOTO: REUTERS Listen to article At least eight people were killed and over two dozen remain missing after the Bhote Koshi River flooded on the Nepal-China border, sweeping away the "Friendship Bridge" that connects the two countries, officials said on Tuesday. Despite no heavy rainfall in the immediate area, experts suspect the flooding was triggered by an overflowing glacial lake in Tibet following torrential rains. Nepalese police confirmed the recovery of eight unidentified bodies and the rescue of 57 individuals, with search and rescue operations ongoing. At least 20 people are reported missing in Nepal, including six Chinese workers and three police officers, according to Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA). In China, state media reported 11 missing on the other side of the border. Also read: PMD warns of heavy monsoon rains, flood risks The Chinese nationals were working on the Inland Container Depot under construction with Chinese assistance, located about 80 km north of Kathmandu. Arjun Paudel, a senior local official in Nepal's Rasuwa district, said containers carrying Chinese imports were also swept away. "There is a big loss of property and we are collecting details," he said. Trade between Nepal and China has been disrupted due to the bridge's destruction. The Bhote Koshi River area is a key transit route for goods between the two countries. China, which has significantly increased investment in Nepal in recent years, has also been battling heavy rain and flash floods, with more severe weather expected due to an approaching tropical storm. Also read: Hope fades for missing in Texas floods as death toll nears 100 Nepal's weather authorities are working with Sentinel Asia, an international initiative using satellite data for disaster response, to investigate the exact cause of the flood. Meanwhile in Pakistan, floods and rain-related incidents, including landslides and house collapses, have claimed at least 79 lives since June 26, the National Disaster Management Authority said. The dead include 38 children. Fresh alerts have been issued for flash floods and glacial lake outbursts in Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due to rising temperatures and an approaching weather system.
