Nepal Flash Floods: 157 Dead, Over 100 Indians Missing; India Rushes Aid

At least 157 people have been killed in Nepal after flash floods on the Bhotekoshi River devastated parts of Rasuwa, Nuwakot, and Dhading districts. The deluge, triggered by an earthquake that caused a massive landslide, sent walls of muddy water and debris crashing through multi-storey buildings and villages, causing widespread destruction.

The Nepal Tourism Board has reported that 291 foreign nationals, including 105 Indians, are among 384 people still missing. Several Indian citizens working at the Tishuli hydroelectric project are also unaccounted for. Communication networks in the affected areas remain disrupted, making it difficult to ascertain the exact situation of the workers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken with his Nepali counterpart, Balen Shah, expressing condolences and assuring India's full support. Two Indian Air Force transport aircraft, a C-17 and a C-130, are on standby with aid packages prepared for dispatch.

The disaster has also triggered alarm in the Indian border states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers feed into the Gandak river system, which flows into Bihar. As a precaution, all 36 gates of the Gandak barrage at Valmikinagar have been opened. Chief Ministers of both states have put their administrations on alert, with disaster response teams on standby.

The Nepal Electricity Authority has reported damage to six major hydropower and transmission facilities, affecting an estimated 430 MW of power supply. The Nepali military has deployed rescue helicopters, but landings are impossible in mountainous areas like Syapru Besi and Timure until water levels recede. So far, 88 people have been rescued, with efforts ongoing to save another 115 from the village of Mailung.

In China, a mudslide has wiped out road, communications, and power links to the Shigatse region, prompting President Xi Jinping to order search-and-rescue operations. The Bhotekoshi River, which originates in Tibet, also flooded last year, killing nine people and washing away a friendship bridge to China.