Hundreds of tourists, including 12 Britons, are missing after devastating floods in Nepal that swept away buildings and bridges have killed at least eight.
Nepal sent helicopters to the rescue on Wednesday after the massive flash flood swept away villages in the Himalayan nation.
So far, officials have said the floods have killed eight people, as well as damaged roads, bridges and power projects in areas near Tibet.
Nepal’s foreign minister said today initial reports indicated that an earthquake caused an avalanche which triggered the flooding.
Officials said as many as 384 tourists and trekkers are unaccounted for, made up of 291 foreign nationals and 93 Nepali citizens.
Among the unaccounted include 12 from the UK, 105 Indian nationals, four from South Africa, 17 from Malaysia and three from the United States. One each from Australia and the Netherlands are also unaccounted for.
The nationality of 111 people has not yet been established, while an additional 37 people are believed to be non-resident Indians living in Nepal.
Across the border, Tibet reported ‘major casualties’ with some missing in the neighbouring county of Gyirong after a mudslide hit a land crossing between China and Nepal.
The Nepal Army said 14 helicopters and disaster response teams have been deployed for rescue and relief.
Nepal sent helicopters to the rescue on Wednesday after a massive flash flood swept away villages in the Himalayan nation
At least eight people have been killed by the flash floods, with many more casualties expected to be reported
But officials said the waters were too high for helicopters to land in Nepal’s affected areas of Syapru Besi and Timure in the mountainous district of Rasuwa, with a population of about 50,000.
Nepal’s rescue helicopters would be unable to land in the affected areas until the waters recede, however, army spokesperson Raja Ram Basnet said.
‘There could be heavy casualties or loss of property,’ district administrator Narendra Pariyar told Reuters.
‘But I cannot say for sure now.’ Pariyar urged those living on the banks of the Bhote Koshi river in the area to seek higher ground, pointing to reports that nearby villages and infrastructure project sites were washed away.
‘It all came suddenly,’ the Onlinekhabar portal quoted a witness from the area as saying. ‘We heard a loud sound, like a volcano erupting. People started to scream and ran away.’
A police spokesperson said: ‘So far, eight bodies have been found. Rescue operations are underway.’
A deadly flash flood on the same river last year was eventually traced to the draining of a glacier lake.
The mudslide on the Nepali side hit China’s Gyirong port, cutting off roads, communications and power in the Shigatse region near the border with Nepal.
President Xi Jinping urged ‘all-out’ search efforts for the missing as well as stronger monitoring and early warning systems to prevent secondary disasters.
Nepal’s energy ministry said 430 MW of electricity supplies were affected, mostly from hydroelectric projects, or more than 12% of total national hydropower capacity of 3.2 GW, a Reuters calculation showed.
Prime Minister Balendra Shah said police and military were joining rescue and relief teams.
‘Instructions have been given … to move the people living in the lower areas to safer places,’ he said. ‘People along the river are advised to exercise extra caution and remain alert.’
Officials admitted there could be ‘heavy casualties’ as a result of the flash floods
The cause of the inundation was not immediately clear
Entire bridges and buildings were decimated by the flooding
From its origins in Tibet, the Bhote Koshi river empties into Nepal’s Trishuli river that eventually flows into India as the Gandak river.
Last year’s Bhote Koshi flood killed nine people, with 24 missing, as it washed away a ‘Friendship Bridge’ linking Nepal and China to disrupt trade and transport for months.
That flood was triggered by the draining of a supraglacial lake in Tibet.
The Daily Mail has contacted the UK’s foreign office for comment.
