BaliEyewitnessNews, Catastrophic flooding on the Nepali side of the Himalayan border of Nepal and China’s Tibet on Wednesday (Aug 26) killed at least 95 people, with hundreds of tourists missing.
In a still-unfolding disaster, verified videos showed dozens of people swept away, with authorities on both sides fearing far higher casualties and massive destruction.
Initial reports suggested that an earthquake in the area could have triggered an avalanche and caused the floods, Nepal’s foreign minister Shisir Khanal told the country’s parliament.
About 403 tourists – 341 of them foreigners – were unaccounted for several hours after the disaster struck, according to Nepal’s ministry of culture, tourism and civil aviation. Among the missing travellers are people from India, the United States, the United Kingdom and Malaysia.
Initial reports suggested that an earthquake in the area could have triggered an avalanche and caused the floods, Nepal’s foreign minister Shisir Khanal told the country’s parliament.
About 403 tourists – 341 of them foreigners – were unaccounted for several hours after the disaster struck, according to Nepal’s ministry of culture, tourism and civil aviation. Among the missing travellers are people from India, the United States, the United Kingdom and Malaysia.
Same region saw flash floods last year
The same regions that were hit by floodwaters saw similar flash floods slightly over a year ago when a glacial lake in Tibet overflowed because of high temperatures.
Nine people were killed, and critical infrastructure, including a bridge connecting Nepal and China, was damaged.
Saswata Sanyal, a disaster risk reduction specialist at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, noted that the Lhende Khola river had flooded twice in 14 months.
This was “triggered by an ice rock avalanche from a glacier on the Nepal side that blocked the river and released a sudden surge downstream”, he said.
He noted the importance of early warnings in “a warming Himalaya”.
The Himalayan region, which spans several countries including India, is especially vulnerable to heavy rains, floods and landslides because it is warming faster than the rest of the world due to human-caused climate change.
Research shows that extreme weather events, including heat waves, rains and melting glaciers, have become more frequent.
EU activates satellite surveillance to aid rescue efforts
As recovery efforts continue, the European Union has turned to its satellite surveillance system to provide assistance.
“Copernicus has been activated to help map the affected areas in Nepal and support the response on the ground,” EU chief Ursula von der Leyen wrote online, referring to the bloc’s Earth observation system.
“We stand ready to mobilise further European assistance.”
