Rasuwagadhi flood: Death toll rises to 11

KATHMANDU: The death toll from the devastating flood in Rasuwagadhi of Rasuwa, triggered by a supraglacial lake outburst in the upper catchment area of Lhendekhola River on Tuesday, has risen to 11.

According to Nepal Police Spokesperson DIG Binod Ghimire, the bodies of two more victims were recovered from the lower Trishuli River basin on Friday. “This increased the death toll to 11,” he added.

However, only one of the deceased has been identified so far. According to police, several of the recovered bodies are unrecognizable, and in some cases, only body parts have been found. The body of Assistant Sub-Inspector Lal Bahadur Shrestha, who went missing in the flood, has been identified and cremated. The other bodies have been kept at the TU Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu for identification.

Nineteen people are still missing. Over 1,300 security personnel have been deployed for rescue and recovery efforts in the affected areas, Ghimire said

The flood caused extensive damage to infrastructure in the Nepal-China border region. The bridge linking Nepal and China was swept away. Similarly, flood also swept away 24 containers, six trucks and 42 electric vehicles.

According to police, the road connecting Timure on the Nepal-China border with Rasuwa district headquarters Dhunche has suffered significant damage.