Flood Fury

Over 500 workers remain missing at Nepal hydropower projects after floods

As many as 537 workers and employees remained unaccounted for at nine hydropower projects in Nepal's flood-hit Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts, with rescue teams intensifying efforts to reach people believed trapped inside tunnels blocked by mud and debris. Rescue operations have been hampered by mud and debris blocking tunnel entrances, damaged infrastructure, difficult terrain and adverse weather, prompting Nepal to seek specialised assistance from India, China and other countries. According to the Independent Power Producers' Association in Nepal (IPPAN), 898 workers and employees at nine hydropower projects in the two districts were initially reported out of contact following the August 26 floods. Of them, 361 have been rescued, leaving 537 still unaccounted for, according to local media reports that cited IPPAN. The most serious situation is at the 216 MW Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project in Rasuwa, with 300 people still believed to be trapped inside the project's tunnel, the .

Nepal flash flood death toll rises to 724, nearly 2,500 remain missing

The death toll from flash floods in central Nepal rose to 724 on Sunday, with more bodies being recovered even as nearly 2,500 people are still missing following the disaster. Bodies have been recovered from all eight affected districts as rescuers race against time to search for those missing and rescue those stranded on the fifth day since the disaster. An ice-rock avalanche following a glacial collapse near the Nepal-Tibet border sent a torrent of water, mud and debris downstream, wiping out towns and villages, damaging crucial infrastructure and washing away hydropower stations through central Nepal on Wednesday. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said the death toll of the tragedy has surged to 724. So far, 259 dead bodies have been recovered from Chitwan, 184 from Nawalparasi East, 82 from Nawalparasi West and 58 from Gorkha districts, the NDRRMA said. Similarly, 52 bodies have been recovered from Nuwakot, 50 from Dhading, 36 from Tanahu and 13 fro

Over 275 Indians remain missing after Nepal-Tibet flash floods, 108 rescued

Over 275 Indians remained missing while 108 others were rescued following the devastating flash floods along the Nepal-Tibet border four days back, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Saturday. It said 128 persons of Indian origin have also been uncontactable. The MEA said that 598 Indian nationals have safely crossed over Nepal from China in the last two days, while around 900 Indians are still on the Chinese side but are "safe and contactable". Late in the night, New Delhi sent a fourth tranche of 11 tonnes of relief materials to Nepal on board a C-130J military transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the aircraft also carried a technical contingent along with equipment for search and rescue operations as well as a team of forensic experts for DNA analysis along with forensic equipment. The forensic team will help Nepalese authorities in identifying mortal remains of those killed in Wednesday's flash floods. Additionall

Suhora spots new lake at Nepal-Tibet flood source, warns of fresh risk

High-resolution satellite imagery shows a 20.25-hectare water body at the avalanche origin in the Lhende Khola region, raising concerns over another downstream outburst

Nepal flash flood disaster caused by high-altitude glacier collapse: China

China on Friday said the collapse of a high-altitude glacier in Nepal may have triggered the massive flash flood disaster that engulfed the Tibet-Nepal border, killing hundreds and causing widespread damage. The death toll from Wednesday's flood-related devastation climbed to 469 in Nepal, while three people were killed in Tibet. "We noted that experts and official institutions of China and Nepal have made preliminary assessments on the cause of the disaster," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a media briefing here. "According to their analysis, the disaster may have been triggered by the collapse of a high-altitude glacier in Nepal," he said, answering a question. China's stand underscores that both Beijing and Kathmandu are on the same page about the cause of the disaster, which resulted in massive deaths and widespread damage to settlements, roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure. A preliminary assessment by Nepalese authorities and a revised analysis by

Nepal flood rebuilding costs could hit $5 bn: Billionaire Binod Chaudhary

The flash flood tore through Nepal's mountainous border region with China on Aug. 26, engulfing villages and washing away roads and bridges

Nepal floods disrupt India trade, 16 km truck queue at Sonauli border in UP

The Nepal flash floods have disrupted cross-border trade between India and the neighbouring country, with the movement of goods vehicles to Kathmandu and other parts of Nepal via Maharajganj in Uttar Pradesh, affected by damaged and flooded roads. A queue of around 16 km of cargo vehicles has formed on the Indian side of the Sonauli border in Maharajganj as trucks wait to enter Nepal. Besides vehicles bound for Kathmandu, cargo trucks heading to other parts of Nepal are also facing delays as traffic movement on several routes remains affected. The queue has extended towards Nautanwa, raising concerns over traffic movement on the national highway. Security agencies and police personnel are monitoring the situation and regulating the movement of vehicles. Circle Officer Basant Singh said, "Surveillance at the Sonauli border has been intensified, and police station heads in the border areas have been directed to remain alert." Officials warned that the situation could worsen if road

'Don't need help': Nepal rejects foreign rescue teams after flash floods

The flood tore through areas including Rasuwa district near ‌the Chinese border, levelling entire towns, damaging hydropower projects ​and killing close to 500 ​people

Nepal issues new flood warning as water level rises at site of flash flood

Nepal authorities on Friday issued a fresh flood warning after the water level increased at the site where a devastating flash flood occurred earlier this week, urging people and rescue workers in the area to move to safer locations. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) said the rise in the water level at the same site raised the risk of another flood in the area. The warning comes after a massive flash flood swept through Rasuwa and other parts of central Nepal on Wednesday, killing hundreds and causing widespread damage to settlements, roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure. "The water level mixed with mud has increased at the same place where the flash flood occurred on Wednesday, and there is a risk of more flooding in the area," the authority said in a fresh notice. The NDRRMA urged people involved in search and rescue operations, as well as those staying in the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli areas for various reasons, to remain highly alert a

China evacuates over 1,000 after flash floods near Tibet-Nepal border

Chinese officials on Friday said more than 1,000 people, including 555 tourists, have been evacuated from Gyirong County near the Tibet-Nepal border after devastating flash floods that caused heavy casualties. The flash floods struck Gyirong Port in the Tibet Autonomous Region on Wednesday, sweeping through villages and towns near the China-Nepal border area. Three people were killed in Tibet and 469 in Nepal, while hundreds of others remain missing. A total of 499 villagers and construction workers as well as 555 affected tourists were evacuated in Gyirong County and transferred under the coordination of cultural and tourism authorities, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported. No tourist remains stranded in the area now, according to the state-run Global Times. Residents affected by the flash floods in Gyirong County have been resettled, and all stranded tourists have been transferred, Xinhua quoted local authorities as saying. Civil aviation authorities also joined the re

Death toll from Nepal-Tibet flash flood climbs to 469, search ops continue

The death toll from flash floods in central Nepal rose to 469 on Friday, with more bodies recovered as search and rescue operations continued for the third day following the disaster. In a statement, Nepal Police said the bodies were recovered from eight districts of the Himalayan nation. According to the police, 178 dead bodies have been recovered from Chitwan, 110 from Nawalparasi East, 44 from Gorkha, 37 from Nuwakot and 33 from Dhading district. Similarly, 28 bodies have been recovered from Tanahu, 27 from Nawalparasi West and 12 from Rasuwa. So far, 1,545 injured and stranded people have been rescued from various affected regions. Among them, 84 are currently undergoing treatment in various hospitals in Kathmandu. Search and rescue operations continued for the third day of the tragic incident with the mobilisation of 7,451 security personnel, including 2,391 Nepal Army personnel, the statement said. An ice-rock avalanche triggered by a glacial collapse near the Nepal-Tibet b

Assam flood toll rises to 47, over 721,000 affected across 11 districts

The Assam flood toll rose to 47 with six more deaths reported on Thursday, while the number of people affected by the deluge increased to over 7.21 lakh in 11 districts, an official bulletin said. The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said several major rivers continued to flow over the danger level with rains in most parts of the state threatening to aggravate the situation. Six more people died in the last 24 hours, taking the toll to 47 in this year's floods so far, the bulletin said. Four deaths were reported from Sivasagar, and two from Charaideo, it said. Over 7.21 lakh people remained affected by the floods in 37 revenue circles and 883 villages across Golaghat, Hojai, Kamrup, Charaideo, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Sivasagar, Nagaon, Kamrup (M), Karbi Anglong and Tinsukia districts, the ASDMA said. Sivasagar was the worst-hit district with 3.75 lakh people hit by the deluge, followed by Charaideo with 1.86 lakh and Jorhat with 1.15 lakh, it said. Till Wednesday, 6.4

Heavy rains trigger flooding in Sri Lanka; 8, including 6 children, missing

Eight people, including six children returning from school, have gone missing in Sri Lanka when the farm tractor they were traveling on was swept away by floods triggered by heavy rains, police said Wednesday. Army and navy troops were deployed to rescue victims and provide food and other essentials to those affected. Sri Lanka has experienced heavy downpours and strong winds over the past two days that have flooded homes, fields and roads and forced authorities to suspend train services in tea-growing mountain areas. In the worst incident, a farm tractor carrying 11 school children was swept away Tuesday evening in the eastern region of the country, police said. Five children were rescued while six other children along with the driver and another adult are still missing in the incident near the town of Karaitivu. A search operation is underway, police said in a statement. Separately, a woman died when a brick wall collapsed on her in the mountainous region of Badulla in the centr

Heavy rain, flash floods claim 50 lives in Afghanistan's Ghor province

Thousands of livestock have perished, and tens of vehicles have been swept away by the floods

Brazil reels from massive flooding as it faces risk from new storms

Authorities in southern Brazil rushed on Wednesday to rescue survivors of massive flooding that has killed at least 100 people, but some residents refused to leave belongings behind while others returned to evacuated homes despite the risk of new storms. Heavy rains and flooding in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul since last week also have left 128 people missing, authorities said. More than 230,000 have been displaced, and much of the region has been isolated by the floodwaters. More storms are expected in the state, with lightning strikes and wind gusts reaching up to 100 kilometers per hour (62 mph) in the south, according to Ctia Valente, the meteorologist in the state's situation room. Staffers of the state's civil defense agency told The Associated Press they have been struggling to persuade residents of the city of Eldorado do Sul, one of the hardest hit by the floods, to leave their homes. It is located beside Porto Alegre, near the center of the state's coastline. At

TN rains: Measures for rescue, relief operation carried out, says Stalin

Indian Coast Guard conducted rescue of stranded citizens and supplied relief materials such as food and medicine to the people in the flood-affected areas

Cyclone Jasper expected to intensify before it crosses Australian coast

Powerful winds began uprooting trees on the northeast Australian coast on Wednesday as Tropical Cyclone Jasper gathered strength while approaching the area. Jasper is forecast to intensify from a category 1 to category 2 storm on a 5-tier scale before it becomes the first cyclone of the current season to cross the Australian coast late on Wednesday, Queensland state Deputy Premier Steven Miles said. The cyclone is expected to cross the Queensland coast somewhere along a sparsely populated 200-kilometer (124-mile) stretch from the city of Cairns north to Hope Vale, an Aboriginal community of 1,000. Jasper is expected to lash the coast with winds of up to 140 kph (87 mph) as it crosses from the Coral Sea. This is a serious event and it has been some time since this part of the coast has seen a cyclone of this intensity, Miles told reporters in the state capital Brisbane. More than 90 people had left their homes for evacuation centres by Wednesday, Police Deputy Commissioner Shane ...

Sikkim flash flood toll rises to 37, inclement weather hampers evacuation

The toll in the Sikkim flash flood has increased to 37, while 78 people remain missing six days after the deluge was triggered by a cloudburst, officials said on Wednesday. Pakyong district accounted for the largest number of fatalities at 24, including 10 army personnel, followed by seven in Gangtok, four in Mangan and two in Namchi districts, they said. Another 78 people are still missing in several towns in the Teesta river basin across the four districts that were flooded, the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA) said. Around 6,001 people have been either rescued or evacuated from the flood-affected areas and the number of injured persons is 30, it said. The count of people affected by the natural calamity stood at 87,300. A total of 3,773 people were rendered homeless and provided shelter in 24 relief camps in the four districts, the SSDMA said. The road network of the state was severely disrupted as 16 bridges, including nine in the heavily-ravaged Mangan dist

ITBP rescues 56 civilians stranded in North Sikkim's flash flood

As many as 56 civilians stranded due to the recent flash floods were rescued by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in North Sikkim, the officials said on Sunday

18 dead, 98 people still missing as search continues in Sikkim flash flood

Fourteen bodies have been found so far while 102 people, including 22 Army personnel, remained missing after a cloudburst over Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim triggered a flash flood in the Teesta river basin, officials said on Thursday. So far, 2,011 people have been rescued, while the calamity that happened on Wednesday affected 22,034 people, the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA) said in its latest bulletin. The search for the 22 missing soldiers was continuing with a focus on the downstream areas as the fast-flowing river is likely to have carried them to the lower reaches, officials said. The state government has set up 26 relief camps in the four affected districts, the SSDMA said. A total of 1,025 people are taking shelter in the eight relief camps in Gangtok district, while the number of inmates at the 18 other relief camps was not available immediately. Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang visited Singtam, one of the worst affected areas, and took stock of the ..