Nepal Floods: 33 Britons Missing Amid International Rescue Efforts
Rising Bhotekoshi River levels threaten further devastation as 350 remain trapped in hydropower tunnel and 11 power stations cease operation.
Carla Rooney
Flash floods in Nepal have left 33 British citizens missing.
Adverse weather and the looming threat of a new flood from an overflowed lake have repeatedly suspended rescue operations.
Balendra Shah affirmed that despite the adverse weather, difficult terrain, and continuing risks, efforts are moving forward with determination to save lives.
Despite the adverse weather, difficult terrain, and continuing risks, efforts are moving forward with determination to save lives.
Specialized rescue teams from India, China, and South Korea are assisting the operation; approximately 10,000 Nepali troops are also deployed alongside specialist teams from China and India.
Rescued nationalities reportedly include 180 Indian citizens, 89 Chinese, individuals from Europe, and two Americans.
The Red Cross estimates over 90,000 people have been impacted by the floods and landslides, which damaged or destroyed homes, vehicles, and tractors.
Bridges have been destroyed and nearly 25 miles of roads damaged in Nepal.
Eleven hydropower stations and one solar power station, with a combined capacity of 431.1 megawatts, have reportedly ceased operation.
Workers are attempting to restore a power station in central Nepal, damaged by recent floods, which supplies electricity to over 20,000 people.
The Prithivi highway, a crucial supply route, remained mostly operational, though some sections required repair.
The district of Rasuwa is understood to be one of Nepal's worst-hit provinces, with the villages of Sano Bakhu and Syfrubesi reportedly left in ruins after the flooding.
Many survivors in displacement camps face shortages of medicines and water, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
Nepal has begun mass burials of unidentified flood victims as authorities warn of further flood risk due to rising water levels in the Bhotekoshi River.
The Himalayan region is warming faster than many other parts of the world. This increases risks of floods, landslides, and debris flows.
The glacial collapse reportedly registered a tremor of magnitude 5.2 and caused floodwaters and debris to travel 62 miles (100km).
Nepal's infrastructure exposed to climate-driven disasters is estimated at $124 billion, with potential annual losses in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
A meeting between Nepali and Chinese officials to discuss glacier risks and disaster preparedness reportedly took place in Kathmandu three months prior to the flood.
The UK government pledged £5 million in aid and dispatched a rapid deployment team to the region.