Rescuers are struggling to reach the disaster zone after more than 160 people were killed in Nepal in a massive flash flood and mudslide.
Hundreds of tourists are missing, including more than 100 from India, 54 from the US, 34 from Australia, and 33 from the UK, as well as more than 100 from Nepal itself, according to officials. The area is popular with pilgrims and trekkers.
Experts warn that debris in a river near the disaster zone could trigger a second flooding event.
The US, China, the EU and India are among the countries that have pledged assistance or dispatched relief supplies.
Dozens of Nepalese police officers and army personnel are also missing, as well as power workers. My family was swept away in front of me, one woman tells us – she and her son survived by climbing to a rooftop.
Authorities initially thought an earthquake may have preceded the flooding – but the US Geological Survey now says the “seismic energy was instead generated by a landslide”
Debris in river could cause further flash flooding, report says
The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) has released a detailed assessment of what happened on Wednesday, when a major flash food caused devastation in Nepal and Tibet.
In it, experts warn of a secondary potential flooding event, as a result of the debris that washed into the river systems.
The experts cited in the report say they are in the process of assessing whether the Trishuli River has been temporarily blocked in narrow sections. If it has been blocked, it is at risk of forming a landslide dam – and a second flooding event.
Authorities and scientists are continuing to evaluate the size, location and stability of any potential blockages.
Nepali army deploys 2,000 troops for search and rescue
The Nepali army has deployed 2,000 military personnel for land and aerial search and rescue operations in flood affected areas.
The troops are concentrated in the worst-hit areas, including the Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts, army spokesman Brigadier General Rajaram Basnet told the BBC.
The military has thus far managed to rescue 97 people trapped in floods, he said, noting that three of them were workers stranded in the tunnel of Trishuli A hydropower project.
Nepal’s police and the armed police force have also deployed officials to help with search operations.
