Flash Floods Kill 538 in Nepal and Tibet, Over 1,500 Missing
Second wave of flooding feared as British nationals remain unaccounted for in Rasuwa district after seismic event.
Image: Eddie Pollard / AI
Callum Smith
Catastrophic flash floods struck Nepal and Tibet on Wednesday, claiming at least 538 lives.
The FCDO expressed profound sorrow, stating it was deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastation caused by the floods in Nepal. British nationals in Nepal are advised to adhere to local authority guidance and exercise caution during travel.
The Non-Resident Nepali Association in the UK launched an emergency fundraising appeal, which has already garnered over £12,000.
Nepalese Police reported the death toll in the country had risen to 547, with 517 foreign nationals also out of contact.
Among the 33 British nationals believed to be unaccounted for are two teenagers: a 13-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy.
The missing Sahu family, including Surabhi Sahu, 44, her husband Santosh, 46, their son Spandan, 18, and daughter Syna, 13, were last heard from as they crossed the frontier from Nepal into Tibet.
The family, who reside in a £1.3 million house in Cobham, Surrey, was reportedly on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash.
Hema Amin, 63, from Croydon, was also on a pilgrimage with her sister when the floods hit.
Rescuers are working through thick mud and debris along the Himalayan border between Nepal and China-controlled Tibet.
While the search operation had not stopped, rescuers have been urged to immediately move to a safe location if necessary.
Abi Narayan Kafle stated that while the search operation had not stopped, rescuers have been urged to immediately move to a safe location if necessary.
Rajesh Srivastava described the situation as “very challenging,” noting the destruction had severely impacted essential infrastructure.
Nepalese officials confirmed that bridges have been destroyed and nearly 25 miles of roads have sustained damage, complicating relief efforts.
A magnitude 5.2 seismic event occurred near the Nepal-China border on Wednesday at 8:37 AM local time, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The USGS attributed this event to a “glacial collapse and debris flow” that subsequently caused “catastrophic impacts downstream.”
China’s Ministry of Water Resources indicated that The lake is expected to receive an additional three million cubic metres of water over the next three days, intensifying the flood risk.
A dam on the Tibet side of the China/Nepal border reportedly burst again, exacerbating the crisis.
China’s Ministry of Water Resources stated that the lake is expected to receive an additional three million cubic metres of water over the next three days, intensifying the flood risk.