In the Rasuwa district of Nepal, located north of the capital Kathmandu, devastating flash floods struck the region on Wednesday. Preliminary estimates suggest the sudden flood occurred after an earthquake triggered an avalanche, further complicating the situation on the ground. Reliable information on the exact number of casualties remains unavailable, but it is estimated that at least 17 people have lost their lives, while 384 are listed as missing.
Of those missing, 291 are foreign nationals, while the remaining 93 are Nepali citizens. The situation is further complicated by the fact that there is currently no signal in the affected area, preventing contact with survivors and hindering rescue coordination. Access to the disaster site is blocked, and strong winds are additionally impeding aircraft access, preventing the rapid deployment of aerial assistance for evacuation or supply delivery.
Given the extremely harsh conditions, Nepali authorities have called on neighbouring countries, particularly China and India, for rescue assistance. International aid is expected to be crucial in locating survivors and ensuring safe evacuation from the hard-to-reach area. Although rescue operations have begun, the accuracy of data regarding the number of casualties and missing persons remains uncertain until a stable connection is established and safe access to all affected parts of the region is enabled.
