New video of catastrophic Nepal floods surface
The video comes as Nepal continues to deal with the aftermath of devastating flash floods that authorities said had killed 1,356 people by Monday. Rescue teams were still searching for 4,996 people, including at least 589 foreign nationals, according to Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA). Around 13,400 people had been rescued. The floods were triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, according to authorities. Chinese media reports said at least 43 people were killed on the Chinese side, while more than 500 remained missing in Tibet. NDRRMA said 363 bodies had been recovered in Chitwan, 223 in Nawalparasi East, 221 in Nawalparasi West, 197 in Nuwakot, 169 in Rasuwa, 75 in Gorkha, 70 in Dhading and 38 in Tanahu. Only 98 bodies had been identified and handed over to families by Monday, according to NDRRMA. More than 1,000 unidentified bodies have been buried after DNA samples were collected for future identification, officials said.
NEW DELHI: A new video from Nepal appears to capture the terrifying moments as flash floodwaters surge through a settlement, sweeping away houses, buildings and parts of a road while people scramble for higher ground. Students can be seen inside what appears to be a school building as the water level of a nearby river rises rapidly. The footage was uploaded on the Facebook page of Nepal7 media outlet and appears to have been recorded from inside a school, where several students are initially seen. Within minutes, floodwaters surge through a stream close to the building, carrying boulders, debris and water, while nearby buildings and a road on which vehicles had been travelling appear to be swept away and submerged. As the torrent intensifies, the person recording the footage and the students move up the stairs inside the building to reach higher ground. The resulting surge travelled downstream through the Bhotekoshi River, sweeping away homes, vehicles, roads and bridges and damaging hydropower projects. The disaster also affected neighbouring Tibet and China. Identifying the dead has remained a major challenge. Nepal Police has been collecting DNA samples from relatives of missing people to help identify unclaimed remains. Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.
Nepal observed a national day of mourning on Monday, marking the continuing toll of the disaster.