Kathmandu [Nepal], August 30 (ANI): Nepal remained on flash flood alert on Sunday as authorities warned of rising water levels in rivers and streams across several districts, while stating a "high risk of flash floods" in Nuwakot and Rasuwa districts.
The official handle of 'Nepal Flood Alert' said in a Facebook post that water flow in small rivers and streams flowing through and around Panchthar, Tehrathum, Taplejung, Sankhuwasabha, Solukhumbu, Okhaldhunga, Ramechhap, Dolakha, Sindhuli, Sindhupalchok, Kavrepalanchok, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Kathmandu, Dhading, Makwanpur, Gorkha, Lamjung, Tanahun, Syangja, Kaski, Parbat, Myagdi, Baglung, Gulmi, Bardiya, Kailali, Darchula, Baitadi, Dadeldhura and Kanchanpur was expected to increase significantly, posing a moderate risk of flash floods.
The alert said there was a "high risk of flash floods" in Nuwakot and Rasuwa districts, where water levels in small rivers and streams were expected to increase significantly.
Meanwhile, speaking to ANI in Kathmandu, Geologist Professor Bishal Nath Upreti ruled out a glacial outburst flood as the cause of the disaster, saying no lake had breached and caused the flooding.
"First of all, this is not a glacial outburst flood. It is not a case where a lake breached and then came down - no lakes were breaching out and causing this," Upreti said.
He said Nepal initially recorded an earthquake of 4.4 magnitude, which was later updated by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to 5.2 magnitude. The initial understanding was that the earthquake had triggered a block of ice falling from the glacier.
"Nepal first recorded an earthquake of 4.4 magnitude, and later the USGS updated it to 5.2 magnitude. The initial idea was that the earthquake triggered a block of ice falling down from the glacier," he said.
However, Upreti said the USGS later re-examined the seismic waveforms and realised that the event was not a tectonic earthquake. He said the sequence may instead have been reversed, with the massive fall of ice and rocks generating the seismic activity.
"It was not that an earthquake caused the ice to fall, but actually the other way around: the sheer mass of ice and rocks falling created this 5.2 magnitude earthquake. You can only imagine how massive the mass must have been that fell from above," he added.
Separately, the Indian Embassy in China said that following recent flash floods and mudslides in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), Chinese authorities had established two dedicated 24-hour English-language hotlines to assist families seeking information about missing foreign nationals.
In a post on X, Embassy said, "Following the recent flash floods and mudslides in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), People's Republic of China, TAR authorities have established two dedicated 24-hour English-language hotlines to assist families seeking information about missing foreign nationals."
Following the recent flash floods and mudslides in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), People’s Republic of China, TAR authorities have established two dedicated 24-hour English-language hotlines to assist families seeking information about missing foreign nationals.
The hotlines…
"The hotlines can be reached at: 0086-891-6817165 and 0086-183-0802-6705," it added.
The updates come as the death toll as of Sunday morning from the Bhote Koshi flood disaster in Nepal had risen to 734, while 2419 people remain missing or out of contact, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA).
According to the latest update issued by NDRRMA as of 9 am, Chitwan reported the highest number of recovered bodies at 259, including human body parts, followed by Nawalparasi East with 184, Nawalparasi West with 82, Gorkha with 58, Nuwakot with 52, Dhading with 50, Tanahun with 36 and Rasuwa with 13.
Of the 2,419 people reported missing or out of contact, 589 are foreign nationals, while 127 are Nepalis accompanying foreign tourists. The missing include 933 people from hydropower projects, 562 in Rasuwa and 115 in Nuwakot, according to the NDRRMA.
The disaster has also left 242 people injured, including those currently under treatment and those who have been discharged.
The authorities said 8,186 people have so far been rescued, including 2,974 by the Nepal Army, 2,699 by the Nepal Police and 2,513 by the Armed Police Force Nepal.
A total of 279 people have been rescued by helicopter from a hydropower tunnel. Separately, as many as 227 foreign nationals have also been rescued by helicopter so far.
Unidentified bodies recovered during the operations have been kept across 21 hospitals in various districts, the NDRRMA said. The Government of Nepal has provided NPR 10 million each to Rasuwa and Nuwakot, NPR 5 million to Dhading and NPR 67.5 million to 15 local municipalities as cash assistance.
Meanwhile, the flow in the Bhote Koshi River in Rasuwa has reportedly increased further, urging personnel involved in search, rescue and relief operations to exercise utmost caution.
The disaster management authority said it would continue to monitor the situation and provide further information. (ANI)
