Nepal warns of more possible floods as communities grapple with devastation

Authorities in Nepal issued new flood warnings on Sunday as rising water levels in the Bhotekoshi River threatened communities already recovering from catastrophic midweek flash floods. The combined death toll across Nepal and neighboring Tibet has climbed to 750 people, with more than 3,000 others reported missing. Disaster response teams and rescue workers are conducting emergency evacuations along critical transport corridors connecting the capital city of Kathmandu to severely affected rural districts.

According to Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, the domestic death toll reached 734, with 2,498 individuals still missing. In adjacent Tibetan territory, Chinese authorities reported 16 deaths and 546 missing persons, including over a hundred Nepali citizens and foreign nationals from more than a dozen countries.

The latest emergency alerts were triggered after Chinese officials notified Nepalese counterparts of increased upstream river flow. Dharam Raj Uprety, chief executive of Nepal's disaster management agency, confirmed that cross-border coordination prompted the automated phone notifications sent to residents in high-risk zones throughout Sunday morning.

For residents in hard-hit areas like the town of Galchhi, the continuous alerts have created ongoing panic and exhaustion. Local resident Govind Shreshta described the difficulty of evacuating his 72-year-old father and 70-year-old mother repeatedly whenever alarms sound, often during night hours and heavy rainfall.

The disaster has severely damaged vital infrastructure across the region. Concrete and suspension bridges over the Bhotekoshi River have been destroyed, cutting off entire communities and leaving residents stranded on opposite riverbanks. Local resident Sattan Singh Tamang noted that the destruction of bridges has left isolated populations facing severe access challenges.

Efforts remain focused on clearing and repairing the Prithivi Highway, a crucial arterial route responsible for bringing food, fuel, and essential supplies into Kathmandu. While major portions of the highway remain operational, key sections continue to suffer from severe disruption caused by landslides and heavy mud deposits.

Across affected flood zones, thick grey-brown muck covers entire neighborhoods, with partially submerged homes, cars, and farm tractors protruding from the debris along riverbanks. Massive landslides triggered by the torrential waters have caused sections of terraced rice fields to collapse directly into the surging river, while damaged power lines have left intact homes and businesses without electricity.

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