At least 55 people have been killed, with some 400 more missing, after a series of explosive flash foods swept through the Himalayan border area between the Nepalese and Tibetan border on Wednesday. Severe flooding was reported across the regions of Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, and Gorkha, north of the Nepalese capital Kathmandu. The majority of the flooding has occurred along the Trishuli and Bhotekoshi rivers in the north of the country.
Nepal’s Tourism Board confirmed Wednesday that 384 people were missing as a result of the flooding, including 291 foreign nationals and 91 Nepali citizens. Read More: How Deadly Flooding Exposed Europe's Climate Change Crisis Of the missing, from figures compiled by several travel companies, 105 are confirmed to be Indian, 12 are British, and three are from the U.S. An Australian was also reported missing.
The U.S. embassy in Nepal issued a warning to U.S. citizens in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha, Chitwan, and Tanahun, urging them to “stay away from riverbanks and low-lying areas, seek higher ground, and follow local instructions.” The embassy added that it was working to account for Americans affected by the flooding. Nepali Prime Minister Balendra Shah met with local Members of Parliament (MPs) earlier on Wednesday to discuss issues including flood damage, condition of settlements in local areas, rescue and relief work, his office said. Nepal’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Shisir Khanal said Wednesday that 79 security personnel remained unaccounted for, and that 13 helicopters from both the army and private sector were involved in rescue efforts.
Nepali Police published the details of 29 people confirmed with injuries as a result of the flooding, most of whom are from the Nuwakot and Rasuwa regions. The list of injured included a 3-month-old who was in a stable condition. Video shared by police on Wednesday shows the catastrophic flooding, with entire buildings swept away in the powerful currents.
Other footage shared shows a bridge and multiple buildings on the banks of the Trishuli river destroyed in the flooding. Police also issued a warning earlier on Wednesday that they expect the flooding to continue down the Bhotekoshi river into the regions of Dhading and Muglin in the center of the country. One of Nepal's busiest roads, the Prithvi highway, that connects Kathmandu to the second largest city, Pokhara, passes through these regions along the Trishuli river.
Police later confirmed that it would be closing this section of the highway. The flooding has also resulted in widespread casualties at the border between Nepal and China’s Tibet region. A mudslide occurred near the Gyirong checkpoint on the border, resulting in severe casualties and a number of people unaccounted for, according to Chinese state media.
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