At least 105 Indians are among 291 foreign nationals reported missing after a devastating flash flood struck Nepal’s Rasuwa district on Wednesday, according to the Nepal Tourism Board.
The missing foreigners include 17 Malaysians, 12 Britons, four South Africans, three Americans, one Australian and one Dutch national. The nationalities of another 103 missing people remain unidentified.
The sudden flooding swept through parts of central Nepal near the Tibet border, killing at least eight people and causing extensive damage to settlements and infrastructure. At least 12 hydropower projects were also damaged.
The Bhote Koshi River surged at around 9 am local time after water flowed in from the Tibetan side, affecting Rasuwa and Dhading districts as well as Nuwakot, which lies southwest of Kathmandu.
Flash Flood Cause Under Investigation
Officials said the flooding was not triggered by rainfall in Rasuwa itself. Authorities are investigating whether an event on the Tibetan side, including heavy rainfall, an avalanche or a glacial incident, caused the sudden rise in water levels.
Dinkar Kayastha, information officer at Nepal’s Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, said the exact cause remained unclear.
He said officials were examining the possibility of a newly formed glacier or the bursting of an existing glacial feature. The department is also assessing whether the incident could have been a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF).
“We are still studying the matter, so the real cause is not yet known,” Kayastha said, warning that the risk of further flooding from the Tibetan side had not completely disappeared. Authorities have launched search and rescue efforts while investigations continue into the cause of the sudden flood and the whereabouts of those reported missing.
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