Page 3 - Floods

Swept away, buried: Nepal flood survivors recall desperate escapes

The images of a mud-covered elderly woman being carried to safety in the scoop of a digger have come to symbolise extraordinary accounts of survival in Nepal's devastating flash floods. The woman, 97-year-old Guna Maya Bohara, was pulled alive from the rubble of her care home after a four-hour rescue operation. Her doctors say she is recovering in hospital, while her great-nephew Dipak told BBC Nepali that she looked like "a warrior" who had returned victorious from battle. Hers is one of the many stories of survival from flood-ravaged areas of Nepal, where people fled collapsing settlements, sought refuge on hillsides and spent nights stranded in forests before rescuers could reach them. The death toll from the devastating flash floods in Nepal crossed 600 on Saturday, as rescue teams continued search and relief operations in a race against time, with more than 2,400 still missing. For Raju Budhathoki, a customs agent in Timure, a town on the Nepal-Tibet border, the disaster bega

Nepal's private, public sectors pledge millions to disaster relief fund

Nepal's public sector, private companies and individuals have pledged millions of rupees to the disaster relief fund as the Himalayan nation continues its fight against one of its worst natural disasters that has killed over 600 people. Nepal is struggling to find its footing after a massive flash flood swept through towns and villages on Wednesday, washing away homes, vehicles, roads and bridges, besides damaging hydropower projects. The death toll crossed 600 on Saturday, while more than 2,400 people remained missing. Nearly 2,500 people, including 163 foreigners, were evacuated as rescue teams raced against time amid intermittent rainfall in flood-affected regions. Nepal's private companies, banks, insurers and individual donors have decided to contribute to the disaster relief fund to help victims, The Kathmandu Post reported. The contributions to the Prime Minister's Disaster Relief Fund will help authorities treat the injured and provide food and shelter to families displaced

Authorities warn of fresh rainfall in Nepal's flood-affected areas

Nepal's meteorology department on Saturday warned of fresh rainfall and thunderstorms in the country's flash flood-affected areas, threatening to disrupt ongoing rescue and relief operations amid the worsening crisis, according to a media report. An ice-rock avalanche following a glacial collapse near the Nepal-Tibet border sent a torrent of water, mud and debris downstream through central Nepal on Wednesday. The death toll crossed 600 on Saturday, while more than 2,400 people remained missing. Nearly 2,500 people, including 163 foreigners, were evacuated as rescue teams raced against time amid on-and-off rainfall in the flood-affected regions. More than 11,000 security personnel, including over 5,000 Nepal Army personnel, have been mobilised for search and rescue operations. The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has indicated heavy rain in the hilly and mountainous regions of Koshi, Bagmati, and Gandaki provinces, the hilly areas of Karnali, and the Terai regions of Lumbini

Nepal flash floods: Death toll reaches 626, over 2,400 still missing

The death toll from flash floods in central Nepal rose to 626 on Saturday, with more bodies being recovered and nearly 2,000 people still missing following the disaster. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) said the bodies were recovered from eight districts of the Himalayan nation. According to the NDRRMA, 233 bodies were recovered from Chitwan, 158 from Nawalparasi East, 51 from Nuwakot, 48 from Gorkha, 47 from Nawalparasi West, 45 from Dhading, 31 from Tanahu and 13 from Rasuwa. The flash floods swept through Rasuwa and other parts of central Nepal on Wednesday, causing loss of life and widespread damage to settlements, roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure, while leaving nearly 2,000 people missing. Nearly 2,500 stranded people have been evacuated by rescue teams in Nepal as search and relief operations continued for a fourth day on Saturday. On Friday, the NDRRMA said rising water levels at the flash flood site increased the risk of ..

21 Tamil Nadu pilgrims rescued from Nepal floods arrive in Chennai

Tearful embraces, hushed prayers, and narrow escape marked the scene at the airport here as the Nepal flood survivors arrived safely. Twenty-one pilgrims from Tamil Nadu, caught in the jaws of catastrophic disaster in Nepal, set foot on home soil, carrying with them memories of horror and astonishment of having survived. The group was part of a larger contingent undertaking the sacred Kailash Manasarovar Yatra when tragedy struck on August 26. A sudden, violent burst of flash floods and massive landslides tore through the mountainous Rasuwagadhi region near the Nepal-China border, transforming a serene spiritual journey into a desperate fight for life. "It felt like a tsunami falling from the mountains," said one survivor, trembling as she embraced her weeping family. "Within seconds, the water swept away everything. The entire market area in Timure disappeared right before our eyes," she said. The disaster claimed numerous lives and left hundreds missing across the region, includi

Nearly 2,500 missing as Nepal, China step up flood rescue efforts

At least 579 people have been confirmed dead while 1,924 remain unaccounted for, including hundreds of foreigners from India, Malaysia, Australia and the US

Nepal needs help in technical areas, not search and rescue: Foreign min

Shisir Khanal said Kathmandu needs foreign help in areas such as rescuing people ​stuck in tunnels, opening transport and communication services

84 Indians successfully rescued from flood-hit Nepal, 320 remain missing

According to MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, the rescued individuals include 21 citizens from Tamil Nadu who returned to India on Friday, alongside 63 workers

Nepal flash floods: 320 Indians, 100 PIOs still uncontactable, says MEA

India is sending more relief material, rescue and medical teams to Nepal, while 96 Indians stranded on the Chinese side have safely crossed into Nepal

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

Nepal flash floods: Death toll jumps to 469, over 1,500 still missing

The Ministry of External Affairs has said 290 Indian nationals remain uncontactable, while the Centre is making "urgent efforts" to ascertain their whereabouts and coordinate their rescue

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

Fast-swelling lakes trigger fresh flood warnings in Nepal and China

At least 469 people have been confirmed dead, a toll that's expected to rise in the coming days after fast-moving waters swept through villages, wiping out bridges, roads and entire settlements

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

China issues Level-IV alert after devastating flash floods at Nepal border

China has sounded a Level-IV alert following the devastating flash floods at the Tibet-Nepal border, warning that a newly formed barrier lake at the confluence of two rivers faces a high risk of breaching and flooding downstream areas. China's Ministry of Water Resources on Thursday night sounded an emergency in the Tibet Autonomous Region, cautioning of a threat posed by the barrier lake, which formed near the confluence of Chhochen Khola and Purepu Tsangpo rivers. These rivers originate in Tibet and flow into Nepal as part of the Bhote Koshi river system. China's emergency response system for natural disasters has four levels, with Level-I being the highest and Level IV the lowest. The lake has accumulated an estimated two million cubic metres of water as of Thursday morning, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. According to forecasts, inflows into the lake could reach about three million cubic metres over the next three days amid continued rainfall, increasing the risk of a .