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Kathmandu/New Delhi: Nearly 100 people were killed, and over 750, including 133 Indian nationals, remained missing after a massive flash flood originating in Tibet swept through central Nepal, devastating several towns and villages, washing away critical bridges, and crippling a dozen hydropower projects on Wednesday, August 26.

India has dispatched 10 tonnes of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) assistance and essential medicines to support Nepal’s response.

“Additional air effort by C-17 and C-130 aircraft will transport further relief supplies, with helicopters earmarked for rescue and evacuation operations. ​From the skies to the ground—responding with speed, agility, and precision, delivering hope when it matters most,” the IAF posted on X.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rescuers will also be sent to initiate relief and rescue operations in the affected areas of Nepal, they said.

President Murmu, PM Modi vow support

Reacting to the news of devastation coming in from the neighbouring country, President Droupadi Murmu conveyed her deepest sympathies to her Nepalese counterpart Ramchandra Paudel and the people.

“I convey my deepest sympathies to Rt Hon President Mr. Ramchandra Paudel @OOP_Nepal and the people of Nepal on the devastation caused by the flash floods today. We express our solidarity with Nepal at this difficult hour,” the President said on X.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X, “Spoke to Prime Minister Balendra Shah and conveyed condolences on the loss of life due to the floods in Nepal. The people of India stand in solidarity with their sisters and brothers in Nepal at this difficult time.

“India is ready to provide all possible humanitarian assistance to Nepal. Our teams are coordinating closely on rescue and relief efforts.”

In Kathmandu, officials said the flood surged through the Bhote Koshi River at around 9 am (local time), coming from the Tibetan side, affecting the Rasuwa and Dhading districts bordering Tibet and the Nuwakot district, southwest of Kathmandu.

Multiple downstream districts, including Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading and Chitawan, have been placed on high alert even as officials started search and rescue operations with the help of the Nepal Army in the affected areas.

The sudden rise in water caused widespread destruction in Timure in the Rasuwa district and the nearby Syafrubesi area, with vehicles, goods and other property washed away, the Nepal Army said in a statement.

The most affected is Rasuwa, about 125 km northeast of Kathmandu, situated near the Tibet border.

In a statement, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRM) of Nepal called on people residing near the river banks of Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Chitwan, and Gorkha to remain on high alert and take safety measures until further notice.

Flooding likely by a new glacier or the bursting of an old one

The flooding did not appear to have been caused by heavy rainfall in Rasuwa itself, according to Dinkar Kayastha, information officer at the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology.

It might have been caused by either the formation of a new glacier or the bursting of the old one, he said. “We are still studying the matter, so the real cause is not yet known,” he said and maintained that the risk of the flood from the Tibetan side has not yet vanished, so “we need to be cautious”.

Investigations are under way to determine the cause of the sudden surge, with officials examining whether it was triggered by a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) or another factor, The Himalayan Times said.

Rasuwa Assistant Chief District Officer Dhruva Prasad Adhikari said the scale of the flooding was unusually large and that the two settlements had suffered significant damage.

Rasuwa Chief Customs Officer Rajendra Dhungana said numerous vehicles and goods kept at the customs premises were swept away. A recently constructed bridge was also destroyed. This is a place which regulates Nepal’s trade traffic connecting Tibet, China.

Many hydro projects damaged, settlements hit

The flash flood damaged eight hydropower projects in operation with a total capacity of 354 MW and five under-construction projects located in the Nuwakot and Rasuwa districts, according to a statement by the Independent Power Producers’ Association Nepal (IPPAN).

The major in-operation hydropower projects damaged by the floods include the Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project (111 MW), the Sanjen Khola Hydropower Project (78 MW) and Upper Trishuli 3A (60 MW).

The Kathmandu Post quoted Chameli Gurung, deputy chair of Uttargaya Rural Municipality, who said around a dozen settlements, including Syaphrubesi, Betrawati, Mailung, Salletar, Shantibazar, Pairebesi, Khalti Basti, Sole, Trishuli and Battar, had been affected.

Nepal Army, Armed Police Force, and Nepal Police personnel were mobilised in the affected areas to carry out rescue and relief work after an emergency meeting chaired by Prime Minister Balendra Shah to assess the situation.

Nepal Army conducts search and rescue operations

Nepal Army mobilised 12 helicopters to conduct search and rescue operations after the flash flood. Six people were rescued from Syafrubesi, two from Mailung, and four from Dhunche, all in Rasuwa district, according to a Nepal Army statement.

The Nepal Army has also established a treatment centre at the Military Training Centre No. 1 in Trishuli, where medical personnel from the Nepal Army are providing emergency medical treatment to the affected people, the statement said.

An Army helicopter (MI17) equipped with an Emergency Medical Rescue Team was also mobilised towards the district hospital in Trishuli, it added.

A local media report quoted spokesperson for Nepal Police Abi Narayan Kafle, who said the Area Police Office in Timure, the police post in Syaphrubesi and the police post at Rasuwagadhi had also been damaged.

Four Armed Police Force (Paramilitary) personnel have gone missing from Rasuwa after the flash flood, said Netra Bahadur Karki, Armed Police Force spokesperson.

A team of 16 health personnel, including five doctors, have been dispatched to the affected area in Rasuwa for medical treatment of those injured.

The devastating flood has swept away a bridge in Gajuri of Dhading district. Five drones have been mobilised to help with rescue and relief work. Three sniper dogs have been dispatched to the affected area to locate the missing persons.

Indian Embassy coordinating

The Indian Embassy said it was coordinating with the Nepal government for the rescue of Indian nationals, as Kathmandu thanked New Delhi for providing relief materials and critical medical supplies.

Meanwhile, Nepal Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal thanked India and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for providing relief materials to support the country’s flood relief operations.

“The Embassy of India has remained engaged with the relevant Nepalese authorities for early rescue and relief for Indian nationals affected by the flash flood that took place in Nepal on Wednesday,” the embassy said in a statement.

“Rescue and relief efforts continue to be strengthened in coordination with the government of Nepal,” it added.

Meanwhile, Nepal Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal thanked India and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for providing relief materials to support the country’s flood relief operations.