4 days ago
Nepal Flash Floods Kill 626 as Rescuers Reach Gyirong Ruins
A huge flood swept through the border area between Nepal and Tibet.
It carried water and mud over the Gyirong immigration centre.
The building and nearby roads were destroyed.
Chinese rescuers had to cross mountains, forests and cliffs to reach the site.
Many people, including Indian pilgrims and an 80-person international group, were there when the flood arrived.
Hundreds of people have died, and many others are still missing.
Governments are trying to contact travelers and search for survivors.
Another lake is forming nearby, which could create another flood.
Rescue teams are watching the area carefully.
The death toll from flash floods in the Nepal-Tibet border region has reached 626.
Chinese rescuers reached the devastated Gyirong immigration centre four days after the flood destroyed roads and buildings.
An 80-member Isha Foundation group, including 46 women and 34 men from 19 countries, was at the centre when the flood struck.
Nearly 320 Indians remain missing in Nepal, while authorities have contacted about 400 Indians on the Chinese side.
Rescuers remain on alert because a growing lake near the disaster zone could burst and cause another downstream flood.
- Who
- Residents, travelers and pilgrims near the Gyirong immigration centre, including Indian nationals and an 80-member Isha Foundation group, were affected; Chinese rescuers reached the site.
- What
- A flash flood destroyed the Gyirong border crossing, killed at least 626 people and left hundreds of travelers missing.
- Where
- The disaster occurred around the Gyirong immigration centre in the Nepal-Tibet border region.
- When
- The rescuers reached the site four days after the flash flood; the article does not provide a specific calendar date.
- Why
- The devastation was caused by a sudden rush of floodwater and mud; authorities also fear a nearby growing lake could trigger another flood.
Key facts
- Reported death toll
- 626 people
- Rescue access
- A 21-member Chinese rescue team and a search dog reached the site after crossing mountains, valleys, forests and cliffs.
- Isha Foundation group
- 80 people: 46 women and 34 men from 19 countries.
- People near the centre
- At least 130 people were reportedly near or inside the immigration centre when the flood struck.
- Missing Indians in Nepal
- Nearly 320, according to India's Ministry of External Affairs.
- Indians contacted in China
- About 400 citizens had been contacted on the Chinese side.
- Continuing danger
- A growing lake near the affected area could burst and cause another sudden downstream flood.
Quotes
Rakesh Nayak’s father
Father of an Indian software engineer missing after the flood
“Literally, the entire group was there at the building... This is a terrible and extraordinary event.”
businesstoday.in
“He was inside the office when the floods came. After that, there has been no communication.”
businesstoday.in
Zou Mingqi
Chinese rescue worker who reached the devastated Gyirong immigration centre
“There was no road. It was all virgin forest and sheer cliffs. At the complex, as far as the eye could see, there was nothing but ruins.”
businesstoday.in
Sources
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