3 days ago
Eight Assam Residents Rescued After Nepal Flash Floods
A huge flash flood hit Nepal on August 26.
The flood happened after a glacial collapse and an ice-rock avalanche blocked part of a river.
Water, mud and debris then rushed through towns and villages.
Eight people from Assam, India, were rescued safely.
Assam’s chief minister said they would return home on Sunday.
Officials are still trying to find other people from Assam.
The government’s rescue names did not fully match an earlier missing-person list.
Nepal reported 734 deaths and nearly 2,500 people still missing.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said eight residents were safely rescued in Nepal.
The rescued people—Pankaj Verma, Samar Bezbaruah, Gautam Das, Gopal Debnath, Soneswar Narzary, Sarbison Marak, Silva Marak and Elphison Sangma—were expected home Sunday.
Assam authorities continued efforts to trace other people reported missing after the floods.
ASDMA listed 10 missing Assam residents, down from an earlier total of 12 after two were confirmed safe.
Nepal’s floods killed 734 people and left nearly 2,500 missing, according to the reports.
- Who
- Eight people from Assam were rescued; Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the update, while authorities continued searching for others.
- What
- Eight Assam residents were safely rescued in Nepal after flash floods, with efforts continuing to locate other missing people.
- Where
- The flooding affected central Nepal, including Timure near Nepal’s border with Tibet; the rescued residents were being brought back to Assam.
- When
- The floods struck on August 26; the rescue announcement was made on August 30, and the rescued people were expected to return Sunday.
- Why
- Authorities were working to account for people from Assam and return them safely after the floods caused widespread destruction.
Official Rescue Update
Families’ and Missing-List Concerns
Status of eight Assam residents
Official Rescue Update
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said he spoke with eight Assam residents who had been safely rescued and would return home Sunday.
Families’ and Missing-List Concerns
The reports do not dispute the rescue announcement, but note that several of the names announced by Sarma were not on ASDMA’s earlier missing-person list.
People still unaccounted for
Official Rescue Update
Assam authorities said they were coordinating with relevant authorities and continuing efforts to trace other missing people.
Families’ and Missing-List Concerns
Families of some travelers, including former Gauhati University professor Dipali Sarkar and her husband Manash Kumar Ghosh, said they had been unable to contact them after the disaster.
Key facts
- Rescued residents
- Eight people from Assam were reported safely rescued in Nepal.
- Expected return
- The rescued residents were expected to return to Assam on Sunday.
- ASDMA missing list
- The Assam State Disaster Management Authority reported 10 people missing.
- Earlier missing count
- ASDMA had earlier reported 12 people missing; families later confirmed two were safe.
- Nepal death toll
- The reports said Nepal’s death toll had reached 734 by Sunday.
- People still missing in Nepal
- Nearly 2,500 people remained missing, including 85 security personnel and 320 foreigners.
- Flood cause
- An ice-rock avalanche following a glacial collapse blocked the Lhende tributary of the Bhote Koshi River.
Quotes
Himanta Biswa Sarma
Chief Minister of Assam
“I just spoke to eight people from Assam who have been safely rescued in Nepal, thanks to the dedicated efforts of Shri @Varun_CGCorp Ji. Pankaj Verma, Samar Bezbaruah, Gautam Das, Gopal Debnath, Soneswar Narzary, Sarbison Marak, Silva Marak and Elphison Sangma are safe and will return home tomorrow.”
NDTV
theprint.in
“Family members have confirmed that Soneswar Narzary from Daidak village in Karbi Anglong district, Pankaj Barman and Samar Bezbaruah of Nalbari district's Arora village, and Shiva Marak, Sarbison Marak, and Elipson Sangma of West Karbi Anglong's Satgaon area are safe.”
NDTV
Sources
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