469 bodies recovered as rescue operations continue across flood-hit Nepal..reports Asian Lite News Desk
The death toll from the devastating floods in Nepal’s Bhotekoshi region has risen to 469, while 977 people remain unaccounted for, according to the latest update issued by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) on Friday.
The disaster, believed to have been triggered by an avalanche on a transboundary river between Nepal and China upstream of the Bhote Koshi River, has caused widespread destruction downstream. Several settlements, roads, hydropower projects, transmission infrastructure and other facilities have been swept away or damaged by the powerful floodwaters.
The NDRRMA said 469 bodies have been recovered from various districts, with Chitwan recording the highest number at 178, followed by Nawalparasi East with 110.
Gorkha reported 44 deaths, while 37 bodies were recovered in Nuwakot, 28 in Tanahun, 27 in Nawalparasi West, 23 in Dhading and 12 in Rasuwa.
Of the 977 people still out of contact, 517 are foreign nationals. India’s Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday night that 290 Indians remained unaccounted for following the floods in the Bhote Koshi River.
The US said around 90 Americans may have been affected, while China reported that nearly 100 Chinese nationals remained missing on the Nepali side following Wednesday’s mudslide.
The NDRRMA also said 127 Nepalis residing abroad were among those unaccounted for.
Those still out of contact include 28 Nepal Police personnel, 45 Nepal Army personnel, 13 Armed Police Force personnel, 15 Customs Office staff and four Immigration Office employees.
At least 73 people have been injured, including 43 in Rasuwa, 27 in Nuwakot and three in Dhading, according to the disaster management authority.
A total of 13,295 security personnel from the Nepal Police, Nepal Army and Armed Police Force have been deployed for search, rescue and relief operations. Rescue teams have so far evacuated 3,253 people, while helicopters are being used to rescue stranded residents and deliver relief supplies to affected areas.
Meanwhile, Nepal’s Prime Minister’s Office has urged individuals and organisations seeking to assist with rescue and relief efforts to coordinate with the District Administration Office in the affected districts before transporting or distributing supplies.
The PMO said district authorities would coordinate the delivery of relief materials directly to affected locations based on local needs and priorities.
It also warned that an increasing number of people have been travelling to disaster-hit areas in small private vehicles carrying limited quantities of relief supplies without prior coordination.
“This has created severe traffic congestion on the roads,” the PMO said, noting that ambulances carrying emergency patients, as well as government rescue teams and priority relief vehicles, have faced difficulties reaching their destinations on time.
The authorities have therefore appealed for greater coordination to ensure that rescue operations, emergency medical services and relief distribution can proceed without obstruction.
