Khatmandu, MINA – The death toll from flash floods in Nepal has risen to 177 as of Thursday, as rescue teams continue searching for hundreds of people still missing, including nearly 300 Indian tourists.
The flooding is among the worst disasters to hit the country in recent years, according to India Today.
Authorities said the floods, which began on Wednesday, caused widespread damage across central Nepal and left thousands of people unaccounted for.
The disaster was triggered after an avalanche blocked a tributary of the Bhotekoshi River near Nepal’s border with China, with the first impacts reported in Timure near Rasuwagadhi.
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Officials and disaster experts said the scale of destruction suggests this could be one of Nepal’s deadliest disasters since the 1993 floods that killed 1,400 people.
Nepal Police said the death toll from the Bhotekoshi River flooding had risen to 177 after 12 more bodies were found. In a district-by-district update, authorities reported 2 deaths in Rasuwa, 12 in Nuwakot, 27 in Dhading, 69 in Chitwan, 20 in Gorkha, 9 in Tanahu, 32 in East Nawalparasi, and 6 in West Nawalparasi.
Chitwan, a tourism hub known for jungle safaris, is among the municipalities on high alert as water levels continue to rise.
Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said nearly 300 Indian tourists are among the thousands reported missing due to the floods. He also confirmed that more than 160 people have died and thousands remain unaccounted for following the disaster in the Rasuwa region.
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“Thousands of families have lost their homes and remain missing to this day. We are still trying to determine the full extent of this disaster,” Khanal said.[]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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