Nepal authorities said earlier that a sudden flash flood entered Nepal from the Chinese side through the Bhote Koshi river in the district of Rasuwa.
HYDERABAD: Families have been unable to contact more than 50 Malaysian travellers in Nepal following Wednesday’s devastating floods in which hundreds of foreigners and Nepalese remain unaccounted for.
“We are still gathering information on the Malaysians who are unreachable. Family members have been unable to establish contact with more than 50 Malaysians,” the charge d’affaires of the Malaysian Embassy in Kathmandu, Mohd Firdaus Azman, told Bernama late on Wednesday.
Firdaus said road access to the region has been affected by the Bhote Koshi River flood, and the Nepalese government has deployed helicopters for search-and-rescue operations.
“We are in touch with authorities,” he said, adding that it is challenging to get information on the missing Malaysians because of the damage to communication infrastructure.
Malaysians trying to locate their relatives or friends should email passport and travel details of the persons concerned to the Malaysian Embassy at mwkathmandu@kln.gov.my for coordination, Firdaus said.
The flood death toll crossed 160 on Wednesday night while hundreds, including tourists and members of Nepal’s police and security forces, remained unaccounted for.
At least 142 Indians are among the foreigners reported missing.
Villages, bridges, and power projects were swept away in the flood caused after an avalanche.
A magnitude-5.2 seismic event occurred near the border between Nepal and China at 8.37 am local time on Wednesday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said on its website.
“This event was initially reported as a magnitude 4.4 earthquake. Additional analysis of nearby seismic stations, long-period seismic waves, and satellite imagery led to the determination that the seismic event was instead a glacial collapse and debris flow, and that no earthquake had occurred,” USGS said.
Nepal authorities said earlier that a sudden flash flood entered Nepal from the Chinese side through the Bhote Koshi river in the district of Rasuwa.
Nineteen bridges and 40 kilometres of highway were destroyed in the flood, according to a Kathmandu Post report.
Police halted vehicles going from Kathmandu towards the worst-hit districts of Rasuwa, Nuwakot, and Dhading.
Apocalyptic CCTV footage show buildings and vehicles at the border port of Gyirong in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region being destroyed by a torrent of water and mud.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered all-out efforts to locate missing people in the region, China’s UN ambassador Fu Cong said in a post on X.
Three deaths and 265 missing people were reported on the Chinese side.
India has deployed a C-130J aircraft carrying 10 tonnes of essential relief materials and medical supplies to Nepal.
“Additional air effort by C-17 and C-130 aircraft will transport further relief supplies, with helicopters earmarked for rescue and evacuation operations,” the Indian Air Force said in a post on X.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman said his country is ready “to extend any support that Nepal may need at this time of distress.”
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said the country “stands firmly with the government and people of Nepal in this difficult hour and remains ready to extend all possible assistance.”
Meanwhile, the Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, which border Nepal, are on flood alert.
A sudden rise in the water level of the Trishuli River at Furke Khola in Nepal, around 160 kilometres from the Indian border, has been reported, India’s Home Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
“The impact of the flood is likely to travel downstream in the Gandak River, in India,” it said.
