Flash floods in Nepal have resulted in the deaths of at least seven individuals and have destroyed the main bridge connecting Nepal to China, according to officials on Tuesday. Search and rescue operations are ongoing for those who remain missing.
The floods began early Tuesday in the Rasuwa district, where the Nepal-China Friendship Bridge is located. Initial assessments indicate significant damage to the customs yard at the border crossing, which housed hundreds of vehicles and cargo containers. Additionally, reports have emerged of power outages caused by damage to hydropower plants.
The Nepalese army and police have deployed helicopters to rescue 55 individuals, while efforts continue to locate at least 18 others. Among the missing are three police personnel, nine Nepali civilians, and six Chinese nationals. The police officers were reportedly swept away while attempting to assist in the rescue operations.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli expressed his condolences, stating, “There are sad reports of some deaths while some people are missing,” after surveying the affected area by helicopter. He noted that the floods have resulted in substantial damage to physical infrastructure.
Nepal's mountainous landscape is particularly susceptible to flash floods, and the frequency and severity of such disasters have increased in recent years, attributed in part to changing climate patterns. Erratic rainfall, floods, landslides, avalanches, and glacial lake outbursts have become more prevalent.
In the previous year, monsoon-related disasters claimed 495 lives, as reported by a government authority. The monsoon season, spanning from early June to September, typically brings severe floods and landslides that impact agricultural communities.
This year's monsoon rains have also caused significant destruction in the Indian Himalayas, particularly in Himachal Pradesh, where nearly 80 individuals have died and at least 35 are missing due to flash floods and landslides since June 20.
In the last 24 hours, at least 14 fatalities have been reported across five Indian states due to heavy rains and flooding, according to a portal from the Indian home ministry.