Page 4 - Floods

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 .

US pledges $500,000 aid, WHO extends support to Nepal amid flash floods

US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs said she spoke with Nepal's Foreign Minister about the ongoing search-and-rescue efforts, including urgent efforts to locate missing US citizens

Scientists find clues behind floods in Nepal, Tibet in satellite imagery

As rescue teams searched Thursday for missing people following catastrophic flooding along the Nepal-China border, Earth scientists reviewed satellite imagery for clues to the cause and assessed the devastation. The flooding killed hundreds of people in Nepal and Tibet on Wednesday. Many more are still missing, including scores of foreigners and pilgrims. Geomorphologists Kristen Cook and Dan Shugar said initial images from Nepal on Wednesday were obscured by clouds and dust from the debris, so they could only see that part of a glacier had broken off from the Langtang Lirung peak, near the border with Tibet. In clearer images from Thursday, they said they could see that the bedrock underneath the glacier had collapsed, taking the massive chunk of ice down with it and sending boulders and ice into the valley. "It shows the whole area without anything hidden, and we could see that, yes, it looked like there was not only this glacier that had failed, but a much larger chunk of the ..

Nepal flash floods: 290 Indians missing and 200 stranded in Tibet

MEA says 73 Indians working on the Trishuli-1 hydropower project are among those missing; India has sent 47.5 tonnes of humanitarian assistance to Nepal

Nepal floods: 270 killed, nearly 288 Indians among thousands missing

Nearly 160 people were killed and over 750, including 133 Indian nationals, remain missing after a massive flash flood originating in Tibet swept through central Nepal on Wednesday, devastating several towns and villages, washing away critical bridges, and crippling a dozen hydropower projects. Nepal Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal told the parliament that an earthquake hit the Tibet region at 8:37 am (local time) and the flash floods were reported three minutes later, suggesting the tremors may have caused a glacial outburst which triggered the floods. The flood surged through the Bhote Koshi River affecting Rasuwa and Dhading districts bordering Tibet, officials said. The massive flood entered the Trishuli River through the Bhote Koshi in Timure, a border-town in Rasuwa district, due to the rockslide and swelling of the Lhende River situated along the Nepal-Tibet border, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said. It then spread along the river course to ot

People from over 30 countries missing after flash floods in Nepal

A glacier collapse in Tibet caused catastrophic flash flooding Wednesday in a border area of China and Nepal. Authorities in both countries have reported more than 160 deaths and over 1,300 people missing as of Thursday. Many were foreigners in the area for trekking or a pilgrimage to a sacred Hindu site. The number of missing may vary across agencies due to differences in how they collected data, when it was reported and how it was verified, as well as gaps in coordination between those assembling data and those conducting rescue efforts in the affected area. Nepal-Police reported at least 165 dead and 826 missing. Local reports cited the National Emergency Operation Centre as saying Thursday the missing included 113 Nepali tourists, 85 security personnel from the army and police as well as 161 residents from the Rasuwa district and one from the Nuwakot district. The National Tourism Board later Thursday said 517 foreigners were missing. China-State media reported at least three .

From Rasuwa to Bihar: How Nepal's flash floods can travel into India

A flash flood in Nepal's Rasuwa district has raised flood concerns in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Here's how the Trishuli-Narayani-Gandak river system connects Nepal to India

Govt making efforts to trace Indians stuck in Nepal floods: Jaishankar

India is making "urgent efforts" to ascertain the status and well-being of Indians stuck in flood-hit areas of Nepal, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday. Jaishankar said this after holding a high-level meeting, which was also joined virtually by Indian envoys in Kathmandu and Beijing. Earlier in the day, Nepalese Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said nearly 300 Indian tourists are among thousands of people remaining missing after the devastating flash flood swept through parts of the Nepal-Tibet border. Held a review meeting with Foreign Secretary, Team MEA and our Ambassadors in Kathmandu and Beijing on the Nepal flood disaster, Jaishankar said on social media. "Urgent efforts are underway to ascertain the status and well-being of all Indians in the flood-affected areas," he said. The external affairs minister said his ministry is coordinating with various ministries, State governments, tour operators and other relevant authorities. "We are working closely wit

Nepal floods: MP sets up control room, Meghalaya launches helpline number

The Madhya Pradesh government on Thursday established a control room in New Delhi for the assistance of tourists from the state stranded in Nepal due to flash floods, an official said. People stranded in Nepal or their families can contact the control room for assistance and information on the helpline number 011-26772005, WhatsApp number 9818963273, and via email at recp1mpbhawan@mp.gov.in, the official said. The flash floods on Wednesday wreaked havoc across three districts in Nepal, claiming 177 lives. Hundreds of people, including 300 Indian tourists, were missing in one of the country's worst disasters in recent years.

Day after Nepal floods, Gandak river water level recedes in Bihar

The water level of the Gandak river, which was in spate after the flash floods in Nepal a day ago, was showing a receding trend on Thursday, bringing respite to the residents of low-lying areas in northern parts of Bihar, an official said. The discharge from the Gandak Barrage at Valmikinagar in West Champaran, the northernmost district of the state that shares a border with the neighbouring country, also declined with the receding water level in the river system, he said. Bihar was put on high alert on Wednesday as floodwaters from Nepal entered the Gandak river and reached the barrage, prompting the authorities concerned to open all 36 gates to control the surge. The water discharge from Valmikinagar barrage declined from 1.50 lakh cusecs at 11 pm on Wednesday to 1.04 lakh cusecs on Thursday morning. "The water discharge from the Gandak barrage at Valmikinagar peaked at 1.50 lakh cusecs at 11 pm on Wednesday, after which the water level began receding," the Water Resources ...

Glacial collapse triggered Nepal flash floods, not earthquake: USGS

The Nepal flash floods were triggered by a glacial collapse and not by a 4.4 magnitude earthquake as reported earlier, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said. The USGS said additional analysis of the long-period seismic waves indicated that the tremors were generated by a glacial collapse and debris flow. The flash floods originating in Tibet on Wednesday left a trail of death and destruction in Rasuwa and Dhading districts of Nepal, killing 162 people and leaving 750, including 133 Indian nationals, missing. "This event was initially reported as a magnitude 4.4 earthquake. Additional analysis of nearby seismic stations, long period seismic waves, and satellite imagery led to the determination that the seismic event was instead a glacial collapse and debris flow, and that no earthquake had occurred," the USGS said in an update to its note on the event. It also upgraded the magnitude of the seismic event to 5.2 from the 4.4 assessed earlier. "The USGS determined that the seismic even

17 killed, nearly 750 missing as flash flood sweeps through Nepal districts

A sudden, massive flood swept through two central Nepal districts bordering Tibet killing four people, causing extensive devastation at settlements along the river and damaging at least a dozen hydropower projects early Wednesday. The flood surged through the Bhote Koshi River at around 9 am (local time) coming from the Tibet side affecting Rasuwa and Dhading districts bordering Tibet and Nuwakot district, southwest of Kathmandu, officials said. The flooding was not caused by local rains in Rasuwa but possibly because of the heavy rainfall or avalanche on the Tibetan side, they said, but the exact cause is yet to be ascertained. Multiple downstream districts, including Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading and Chitawan, have been placed on high alert even as officials started search and rescue operations with the help of Nepal Army in the affected areas. The sudden rise in water caused widespread destruction in Timure in Rasuwa district and the nearby Syafrubesi area, with vehicles, goods and .

At least five people killed as severe storms, flooding hit Indiana

Authorities here said at least five people have died as a result of severe storms and flooding across the state this week, as first responders used boats to rescue more people Saturday from rising waters in neighbourhoods along the White River in Indianapolis. The state has been hammered over the past week by heavy rains, resulting in rivers reaching record levels and sending residents in search of higher ground. More than a dozen counties have declared local disasters, with much of the latest damage concentrated along river corridors from Hamilton County heading into the northern Indianapolis suburbs. President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration for Indiana, and federal disaster assistance is available to the state, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Saturday. Residents evacuate as water rises ------------------------------------------- Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said the city was experiencing its most severe flooding in more than 30 years, noting that .

Assam floods: Death toll reaches 100 as rains cause widespread devastation

Among the hardest-hit areas, Cachar district has recorded 22 deaths, while Sivasagar has reported 49 fatalities

Assam flood toll rises to 97, over 168k affected as situation remains grim

The flood situation in Assam remained critical as the toll rose to 97 with two more fatalities and over 1.68 lakh people across 15 districts were still affected by the deluge, officials said on Friday. The railway connectivity via Sivasagar district, which was disrupted for nearly a fortnight due to damage to the tracks by floodwaters, has been restored, Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) said. The two deaths were reported from Golaghat and Udalguri districts, taking the toll in this year's flood to 97 so far, the officials said. Golaghat, Sivasagar, Udalguri, Kamrup Metropolitan, Nagaon, Kamrup, Darrang, Sonitpur, Hojai, Lakhimpur, Biswanath, Jorhat, Charaideo, Karbi Anglong and Dhemaji districts were affected by the deluge. More than 1.68 lakh people were still reeling under floodwaters, with Golaghat being the worst-affected district with around 54,000 people hit, followed by Sivasagar (49,000) and Jorhat (27,000), the officials said. The number of affected people has increased f

Assam flood toll rises to 87 with 2 more deaths, nearly 130k still affected

The toll in Assam's flood rose to 87 with two more fatalities, and nearly 1.3 lakh people were still affected by the deluge even though water was receding from most of the inundated areas across the state, officials said on Tuesday. However, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted extremely heavy rain with thunderstorms in Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya for the next few days, which could affect several Assam districts bordering the two states. "The weather pattern suggests that thunderstorms with lightning and extremely heavy rainfall (orange and red warnings) are expected at most places of East Khasi Hills, West Jaintia Hills and East Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya and Papumpare, Kurung Kumey, East Kameng, East Siang, Lohit and Changlang districts of Arunachal Pradesh. This may impact the neighbouring districts of Assam," the weather office said. A yellow warning (watch) has also been issued by IMD for most parts of Nagaland, which could impact Charaideo, Sivasagar, ..

Assam govt releases first tranche of ₹15k relief for flood-hit households

The Assam government on Monday released the first tranche of interim relief of about Rs 75,000 each to flood-affected households, officials said on Monday. The toll in the devastating deluge in Upper Assam rose to 85 as three more deaths were reported on Sunday even as the number of affected people dipped to 1.35 lakh, they said. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is touring the worst-affected districts, released the first tranche of interim relief from Dibrugarh. Families with severely damaged houses in Sivasagar, Chariadeo, Jorhat and Golaghat districts will receive Rs 15,000 per household, among other benefits being provided for the affected people in the first tranche, with total relief amounting to Rs 75,000 per household, the officials said. Sarma is scheduled to visit parts of Sivasagar district during the day and oversee the relief and rehabilitation operations, while also interacting with the affected people. The fresh fatalities in the deluge were reported in Sivasa