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Flash flood ravages Rasuwa, destroying villages and infrastructure, displacing residents and triggering urgent rescue and recovery efforts.
A massive flash flood struck Rasuwa district north of Kathmandu early on Wednesday, washing away villages, damaging a hydropower dam and prompting ongoing search and rescue operations, officials said.
Authorities attribute the flood to melting snow entering the Bhote Koshi river, which flows from Tibet into Nepal, and military and rescue teams have been mobilized, army spokesman Rajaram Basnet said. Twelve people have been rescued so far as operations continue.
Rasuwa chief district officer Narendra Pariyar said it is too early to estimate the full scale of the damage but warned that several downstream districts are on high alert. Nepal’s disaster management authority urged residents near riverbanks in vulnerable areas to remain cautious.
Prime Minister Balendra Shah said after an emergency meeting that coordination has begun with medical teams, scouts and the Red Cross. Officials also reported that 13 armed police officers are missing from two posts in Rasuwa and that dozens of other officers have been unreachable.
The available statements indicate the flood resulted from melting snow entering the Bhote Koshi river and triggered a multi-agency emergency response. Rescue teams have recovered 12 people to date while searches continue for missing security personnel. Officials warned of severe but as-yet unquantified damage and placed downstream districts on high alert.