The worst damage has been reported in Rasuwa and Nuwakot, where photographs and videos from affected areas show buildings damaged or swept away, roads cut off and riverbank settlements covered in debris.
Images emerging from Nepal show the extent of destruction caused by the massive flash flood that swept through the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river corridors, with houses, roads and bridges destroyed and large areas covered with mud, rocks and debris.
Key Points
- In Timure and Rasuwagadhi in Rasuwa, the flood caused extensive damage to settlements and infrastructure along the Bhotekoshi River. Both towns are located near the Nepal-Tibet border.
- The Rasuwagadhi border crossing was among the worst affected, with buildings and other infrastructure damaged or swept away.
- >Further downstream in Nuwakot, the destruction was particularly severe in Trishuli Bazaar and nearby areas. Around 60 houses in and around Trishuli Bazaar were reportedly swept away, while two motorable bridges over the Trishuli River were also washed away.
The worst damage has been reported in Rasuwa and Nuwakot, where photographs and videos from affected areas show buildings damaged or swept away, roads cut off and riverbank settlements covered in debris.
In Timure and Rasuwagadhi in Rasuwa, the flood caused extensive damage to settlements and infrastructure along the Bhotekoshi River. Both towns are located near the Nepal-Tibet border.
The Rasuwagadhi border crossing was among the worst affected, with buildings and other infrastructure damaged or swept away.
The Department of Roads said the entire 42-kilometre road section between Betrawati in Nuwakot and Rasuwagadhi was damaged at multiple points, while several concrete bridges were washed away.
Further downstream in Nuwakot, the destruction was particularly severe in Trishuli Bazaar and nearby areas. Around 60 houses in and around Trishuli Bazaar were reportedly swept away, while two motorable bridges over the Trishuli River were also washed away.
The nearby Devighat area suffered extensive damage. Photographs from Trishuli Bazaar show buildings standing amid thick deposits of mud and debris, with sections of the riverbank and adjoining roads heavily damaged.
The flood also damaged the Trishuli and Devighat hydropower projects, along with other power infrastructure in the affected corridor.
The scale of damage to transportation infrastructure has been extensive.
Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said 35 motorable bridges, 45 suspension bridges and around 40 kilometres of roads had been damaged by the flood.
Vehicles were also swept away or buried under mud and debris in several affected areas.
The destruction has made rescue operations difficult, particularly in Rasuwa, where damaged roads and bridges have cut off communities.
Search and rescue operations have continued in Rasuwa, with security personnel deployed to reach people stranded in isolated areas.
Further downstream, the flood has left rescue teams searching riverbanks and recovering bodies carried by the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers.
Bodies have been recovered from Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha, Tanahun, Chitwan and Nawalparasi districts according to the disaster management authority.
In Chitwan, the aftermath has become a scene of grief and identification. Families have gathered outside Bharatpur Hospital carrying photographs of relatives who remain missing, hoping to identify those recovered from the rivers.
At the hospital, the number of bodies recovered has overwhelmed available mortuary space, with authorities making arrangements to accommodate additional remains.
The impact has extended beyond homes and roads to schools and other essential infrastructure.
The Nepal News online portal reported that the Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School in Bidur was severely damaged by the flood, while power infrastructure in the affected districts has also suffered extensive damage.
The flood left a trail of destruction that changes in character downstream -- from severely damaged settlements and infrastructure in Rasuwa and Nuwakot to large-scale search, rescue and recovery operations farther south.
Authorities are continuing to assess the full extent of the damage as rescue teams reach areas that were cut off by the flood and families wait for information about those still missing.
