Nepal(National Times)- At least 95 people were killed in Nepal on Wednesday after a massive flood tore through the border region with Tibet, a police spokesman told AFP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo far, 95 deaths have been reported,\u201d spokesman Abi Narayan Kafle said, adding that some 28 police personnel were also missing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hundreds of tourists were still out of contact hours after the disaster hit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A torrent of mud and debris burst from the banks of a river between China and Nepal, burying buildings and triggering a frantic search for survivors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chinese authorities said three people died and 265 others were missing after the mudslide, state media reported, citing preliminary figures from local officials. It added that President Xi Jinping ordered an \u201call-out\u201d rescue effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was not immediately clear if there was any overlap between the Chinese figures and those announced by the Nepalese, with state broadcaster CCTV saying specific casualty figures were still being verified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI got a call from [my brother-in-law] this morning, and they were crying and said their entire house had been swept away. Three family members were rescued, but his brother is still missing,\u201d said 56-year-old Raju Bhadel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nepal\u2019s Prime Minister Balendra Shah urged the Himalayan nation to stand united after the devastating flood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe pain and loss you have suffered is not small. But I want to assure you that you are not alone in this difficult time \u2014 the state is with you with all its means and resources,\u201d Shah said in a statement posted to social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPlease be patient. The government takes full responsibility for your rescue, treatment, food and shelter. In times of such a disaster, we all need to stand together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some 403 tourists \u2014 341 of them foreigners \u2014 were unaccounted for several hours after the disaster struck, according to the ministry of culture, tourism and civil aviation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nepal\u2019s tourism board said Americans, Indians, an Australian, Malaysians and Britons were among those unaccounted for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Images shared by Nepali police showed floodwater surging through a river, sweeping away houses in its path, while AFP images depicted the top floor of a house sticking out from muddy soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A police spokesman told AFP earlier that authorities did not know the extent of the damage but said they had \u201calerted people who are staying near the riverside to relocate\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Nepal Army said it had deployed helicopters and disaster response personnel to the affected area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Nepal Electricity Authority said about 430 megawatts of production capacity, including from hydropower and solar facilities, has been damaged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe disaster has damaged the production, transmission and distribution facilities of the Authority\u2026 resulting in disruption of electricity supply,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sarthak Shrestha, a remote sensing and geo-information analyst at the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), said a preliminary assessment showed \u201cno anomalies\u201d from China\u2019s side of the border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe believe a rock-ice avalanche occurred in Nepal, blocking the Lhende river and causing the cascading flood event,\u201d he told AFP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mudslide risk<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several highways were also closed, Nepali authorities said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported on Wednesday that \u201ca mudslide disaster on the Nepalese side resulted in major casualties and missing people at the Gyirong Port\u201d in Tibet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Footage shared by the broadcaster, which AFP was unable to immediately verify, showed rushing water carrying tree branches and debris, as well as a flooded road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China\u2019s leader said that \u201cthe most urgent task is doing everything possible to search for and rescue the missing people\u2026 quickly treat injured people and minimise casualties to the greatest extent possible\u201d, according to CCTV.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief and offered his sympathies to the flood-affected people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDeeply saddened by the loss of precious lives and widespread devastation caused by the floods and landslides in Nepal\u2019s Rasuwa District and other affected areas,\u201d he said in a post on X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy heartfelt sympathies are with the bereaved families and all those affected by this tragedy. Pakistan stands in solidarity with the Government and people of Nepal during this difficult time,\u201d he said, while praying for the safety and well-being of all those in the affected areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he had spoken to Shah, and gave both his condolences and an offer to aid rescue efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe people of India stand in solidarity with their sisters and brothers in Nepal at this difficult time,\u201d Modi said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIndia is ready to provide all possible humanitarian assistance to Nepal. Our teams are coordinating closely on rescue and relief efforts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Traffic authorities in Tibet\u2019s Shigatse said roads in the area were \u201cat risk of mudslides and unsafe for passage\u201d in a post on social media on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In July last year, 17 people went missing after a mudslide near the Gyirong Port, Xinhua reported at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Monsoon rains from June to September regularly trigger deadly floods and landslides across South Asia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Scientists say climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qianggong Zhang, head of climate and environmental risks at ICIMOD, said a second flood may be imminent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWith a blockage still lodged upstream on the Nepal-China border river, authorities warn a second flood may occur,\u201d he told AFP.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Nepal(National Times)- At least 95 people were killed in Nepal on Wednesday after a massive flood tore through the border region with Tibet, a police spokesman told AFP. \u201cSo far, 95 deaths have been reported,\u201d spokesman Abi Narayan Kafle said, adding that some 28 police personnel were also missing. Hundreds of tourists were still out of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":131962,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-131961","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest_news","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n