Nepal Police Report 547 Bodies Found After Bhote Koshi Flood

Nepal Police reported that 547 bodies had been found as of 3 p.m. Nepal time Friday after the Bhote Koshi flood struck Rasuwa on Wednesday.

The police update put the number of people injured or rescued at 1,473 and listed 27 police personnel as out of contact. One of them has been found dead.

The bodies were recovered in eight districts — 221 from Chitwan, 134 from Nawalparasi East, 44 from Gorkha, 40 from Dhading, 38 from Nuwakot, 29 from Tanahun, 28 from Nawalparasi West, and 13 from Rasuwa.

The injured and rescued included 898 people in Nuwakot, 572 in Rasuwa, and three in Dhading. A further 94 injured people are being treated in or have been discharged from hospitals in the Kathmandu Valley.

Army Expands Search Operations

The Prime Minister’s Office said the Nepali Army intensified search and body-recovery operations following public complaints about delays in finding missing people and recovering bodies.

Another 1,200 soldiers were deployed in the flood-affected region from Rasuwa to Chitwan and the total number of soldiers deployed in the operation is now 2,800.

The Nepali Army had previously mobilized 1,600 soldiers for rescue and relief and providing temporary shelters to the affected residents.

Military teams were operating in the flood-affected areas and riverbanks of Trishuli and Narayani rivers despite strong current and rugged terrain, the Office said.

Cabinet Directs Relief Planning

A separate Cabinet update said the prime minister and all members of the Council of Ministers would deposit one month’s pay into the Prime Minister’s Natural Disaster Relief Fund.

The Cabinet also directed the Ministry of Finance to prepare a relief and rehabilitation package for people and businesses affected around Rasuwagadhi, the Bhote Koshi, and downstream districts.

Nepal Seeks Bailey Bridges

Nepal has asked India and China to provide Bailey bridges, according to Jagadishwar Pandey, an adviser to Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal.

Pandey added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had sent letters following consultations with officials from the Ministry of Infrastructure, the Ministry of Disaster Management, and the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding road reconnection.

According to local media, the floods destroyed 41 bridges and closed the main road to Dhading district. They have reported that the bridge at the Rasuwagadhi border point was carried away by the floods. Similarly, the bridges in Trishuli, Nuwakot and others were also washed away.

It has become the deadliest disaster in Nepal after the 2015 earthquake. According to the US Geological Survey, the floods were caused due to the glacial collapse that released a massive flow of icy debris.

After a dam on the Tibetan side burst, the Nepali police issued a fresh alert on Friday. Security personnel and rescue and relief workers were told to stay on high alert and immediately move to safe locations if necessary.