Nepal Flood Death Toll in Rasuwa Rises to 475
Nepal police said the death toll from flooding in Rasuwa had risen to 475 by Friday morning, September 6. According to police officials, rescue, relief and search operations for the missing are continuing, and efforts are also under way to reopen blocked routes.
The flash flood originated in mountainous border areas adjacent to Tibet and caused widespread damage. As a result, customs posts, bridges and major roads in the region were badly damaged, cutting off land transport in many areas.
According to reports, the 42-kilometre highway between the Betrawati area and the Rasuwagadhi border post was completely destroyed by the swelling river. This has made access to several affected areas more difficult.
Alongside the high death toll, dozens of people remain missing. Those missing include a number of foreign tourists and travellers who were stranded in the mountains.
Nepal’s army and police are trying to reach remote areas despite difficult terrain and damaged communications lines. These constraints have complicated relief and search efforts.
Initial assessments indicate that a mild earthquake in the mountainous region and severe landslides on the Tibetan side may have temporarily blocked the river’s course before allowing a powerful flood to surge into Nepali territory. However, the investigation into the exact cause of the natural disaster is still under way.
On the Chinese side, rescue operations in Tibet have been halted because of the risk of another wave of flooding. Chinese officials warned that a lake formed upstream of the Gyirong border port by a landslide could overflow after heavy rain and trigger a new crisis.
Chinese state media reported that more than 550 people are missing on the Tibetan side so far. According to these reports, 260 of the missing are foreign nationals and travellers who were heading to Mount Kailash, a sacred mountain.
Rasuwagadhi is one of the key border crossings between Nepal and Tibet, and the Betrawati-Rasuwagadhi highway is one of the main routes for travel and goods transport in the region.
