6 days ago
Nepal Floods Damage Hydropower and Kill More Than 100
A very large flood struck parts of Nepal near the Tibetan border.
The Bhotekoshi River rose suddenly and carried mud, rocks and debris into villages.
At least 100 people died, and many others were still missing.
Homes, roads, bridges and power projects were damaged or swept away.
About 430 megawatts of Nepal’s electricity capacity was affected.
Experts think an avalanche from a glacier may have caused the sudden flood.
A mudslide across the border in Tibet also killed at least three people and left 265 missing.
Scientists say warmer temperatures are helping make floods, landslides and glacier melt more common in the region.
At least 100 people were killed and hundreds remained missing after flash floods struck Nepal near the Tibetan border.
The Bhotekoshi River surged around 9 a.m. Wednesday, washing away villages, roads, bridges and infrastructure sites.
Nepal’s Energy Ministry said about 430 megawatts of electricity capacity was affected, exceeding 12% of installed hydropower capacity.
Authorities urged residents near the Bhotekoshi, Trishuli and Narayani rivers to move away from riverbanks.
Climate experts said a glacier-related avalanche likely triggered the flooding, while scientists warned that extreme weather is increasing across the Himalayas.
- Who
- Residents of affected Nepalese districts, rescue authorities and hydropower operators; people in Gyirong County, Tibet, were also affected.
- What
- A massive flash flood and related mudslides killed people, left hundreds missing, damaged infrastructure and disrupted about 430 megawatts of Nepal’s electricity capacity.
- Where
- Villages and districts near Nepal’s Tibetan border, including Nuwakot, and Gyirong County in Tibet.
- When
- The Bhotekoshi River surged around 9 a.m. on Wednesday; the article also refers to a similar Tibet glacial-lake disaster in August last year.
- Why
- Climate experts said an avalanche from a glacier likely triggered the sudden flooding; scientists linked the wider increase in extreme weather to rising temperatures, intense rainfall, glacier melt and related hazards.
Key facts
- Deaths in Nepal
- At least 100 people
- Missing in Nepal
- Hundreds
- Affected power capacity
- About 430 megawatts
- Nepal installed hydropower capacity
- 3.2 gigawatts
- Share of capacity affected
- More than 12%
- Deaths in Gyirong County
- At least three people
- Missing in Gyirong County
- 265 people
Quotes
Nepal’s Electricity Authority
Nepal’s public electricity authority
“The disaster has damaged the production, transmission and distribution facilities of the Authority ... resulting in disruption of electricity supply”
NDTV
Sources
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