Nepal: Death toll from devastating floods reaches 270 with over 800 missing

Yesterday 10:41

Nepal is facing one of the deadliest natural disasters in recent years. The provisional toll from the violent floods that occurred on Wednesday has risen to 270 dead, while 823 people remain missing, according to Nepalese authorities. Among them are 517 foreign nationals.

The disaster has particularly struck several areas near Kathmandu. The Trishuli River valley in the Nuwakot district, north of the capital, as well as the Bhotekoshi valley to the east, have been ravaged by torrents of exceptional violence.

According to reports from the United States Geological Survey, the collapse of a glacier is believed to be the cause of the disaster. This phenomenon reportedly triggered a 5.2 magnitude earthquake, followed by landslides and significant flows that devastated several sectors.

Twenty-four hours after the tragedy, search operations continued under difficult conditions. Authorities remained without news of hundreds of people, many of whom are foreign visitors.

The Nepalese tourism office notably reported the disappearance of 178 Indian nationals. Citizens from the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Australia, the Netherlands, the United States, Portugal, South Africa, Korea, and Ukraine are also among the missing.

In light of the magnitude of the disaster, the Nepalese army has mobilized its air resources to assist the affected populations. Helicopters have facilitated the evacuation of 105 people and the delivery of medical supplies and emergency humanitarian aid to the disaster-stricken areas.

Authorities are also concerned about the risk of another disaster. A technical report published on Thursday warned of the presence of a lake formed after the avalanche, whose waters have not yet fully drained. Therefore, another flow cannot be ruled out at this stage.

The disaster has also had repercussions on the other side of the border, in Tibet. Chinese authorities reported three deaths and 558 people still missing in the Gyirong Port area after the passage of mud torrents. Among the missing are said to be 260 foreign nationals.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also indicated that about a hundred Chinese citizens are missing in Nepalese territory.

These events occur during the monsoon season, which generally lasts from June to September in Nepal and several regions of South Asia. Heavy rainfall regularly causes flooding and landslides in this particularly vulnerable mountainous region.

As rescue operations continue, the scale of the human toll serves as a reminder of the vulnerability of populations to extreme climatic and geological phenomena, the intensity of which may be exacerbated by the effects of climate change.