KATHMANDU: Khabarhub brings you a glimpse of major developments of the day in Nepal, including politics, business/economy, sports, entertainment, and more.
Rasuwa flood: Death toll reaches 1,114
The bodies of 1,114 people who went missing following the devastating floods in Bhotekoshi, Rasuwa, on August 26 have been recovered. According to a bulletin issued by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, the death toll has reached 1,114. Police records show that 41 people have died in Rasuwa, 155 in Nuwakot, 59 in Dhading, 348 in Chitwan, 66 in Gorkha, 38 in Tanahun, 217 in Nawalparasi East and 190 in Nawalparasi West. According to the authority, 3,916 people are still missing, while 292 have been injured. So far, 11,993 people have been rescued from the flood-affected areas.
Rasuwa flood was unprecedented, with no prior warning: PM Shah
Prime Minister (PM) Balendra Shah has said the disaster in Rasuwa was an unprecedented event, for which there was no adequate prior warning. Addressing the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Prime Minister Shah said the scale of the disaster was beyond anything previously experienced. “It is a major event that human civilization has experienced. This disaster occurred without prior information,” he said. Prime Minister Shah told Parliament that even some of the people who had received information about the approaching flood and were working to respond to it were later reported missing.
We cannot afford to rest amid disaster, says PM Shah
Prime Minister (PM) Balendra Shah (Balen) has said that the government cannot afford to rest at this time of crisis despite exhaustion, as it continues working around the clock to respond to the disaster. Addressing the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Prime Minister Shah said the government was working day and night, accepting the reality that the country’s leadership must provide courage, support and reassurance to the people rather than tears during such a crisis. He said there was no time to mourn together even when people’s hearts were broken. “We had no other option but to fight this disaster with determination and courage. We are fighting,” he said. Recalling the people who lost their lives in the disaster on Bhadra 10, including children and parents who were building their dreams and families who had been living in happiness, Prime Minister Shah paid tribute to all those who died in the tragedy. He also expressed condolences to the bereaved families.
PM Shah vows determined fight against flood disaster
Prime Minister (PM) Balendra Shah has said there is no alternative to confronting the disaster that has befallen the country with determination. Addressing the House of Representatives (HoR) on Wednesday, Prime Minister Shah expressed condolences to the families who have lost loved ones in the floods and said he shares the deep sorrow of those still searching for missing family members. “This pain is not limited to Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading; it is a common tragedy that has struck the entire nation,” he said. “However, at this time, we do not have the opportunity to rest because our bodies are tired, nor do we have time to mourn together even when our hearts are broken. We accept the reality that, in this hour of crisis, the country’s leadership must give the people courage and support, not tears.”
CIAA files corruption case against five, including former land revenue chief
The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a charge sheet against five people, including Kumar Acharya, former chief land revenue officer of the Land Revenue Office in Bhairahawa, Rupandehi, at the Special Court in Kathmandu. The anti-graft body has accused the five of causing illegal gain or loss, preparing false documents and altering government records in connection with corruption. According to CIAA spokesperson Suresh Neupane, those charged are former land revenue officer Acharya, former section officers Laxman Prasad Neupane and Ajit Kumar Sahani (Chai), former non-gazetted employee Megh Bahadur Bhujel Magar, and landowner Parvatarajkant Mishra.
China reopens key Kerung highway within a week as 24-hour rescue operations continue
China has reopened a major highway in the southwestern Xizang Autonomous Region within a week after it was damaged by a landslide last Wednesday, allowing rescue operations in the disaster-hit area to accelerate. With the highway now operational amid round-the-clock rescue efforts, large vehicles and heavy equipment have reached the main affected areas via National Highway G-216, according to China Media Group (CMG) reporters stationed at the Kerung port. The improved road access is expected to facilitate more extensive and intensive search and rescue operations for people who remain missing. A massive flow of mud and rocks triggered by a landslide and rockslide on August 26 reached the Kerung port. Chinese authorities said that, as of 6 pm on Saturday, 16 people had died and 546 remained missing.
557 workers still missing from Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project
As many as 557 employees and workers involved in the 216-MW Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project remain unaccounted for following the Bhotekoshi River flood on Bhadra 10. Nepal Water and Energy Development Company Pvt. Ltd., the project’s promoter, issued a statement on Wednesday saying 385 workers of PowerChina, a subcontractor responsible for the project’s main civil construction works, are still missing. Similarly, 94 workers of Andritz Hydro, the electromechanical and hydromechanical subcontractor, remain unaccounted for. The company said 15 of its own employees, seven from consultant Z Consult, and 56 workers associated with the main construction contractor Doosan are also missing.
House of Representatives passes special motion on Bhotekoshi flood disaster
The House of Representatives has unanimously passed a special motion concerning the Bhotekoshi flood disaster. Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal presented the motion during Wednesday’s meeting, which was endorsed unanimously. While presenting the motion, Speaker Aryal paid tribute to both Nepali and foreign nationals who lost their lives in the disaster and expressed condolences to their bereaved families, relatives and respective countries. He also wished those injured in the disaster a speedy recovery. Aryal urged the government and concerned agencies to remain sensitive to the economic and psychosocial conditions of disaster-affected people and ensure the safety and protection of women and children, along with easy access to essential services.
Deuba faction sets December 7-9 for Nepali Congress general convention
The Sher Bahadur Deuba-led faction of the Nepali Congress has stepped up preparations for the party’s 15th General Convention, proposing to hold the central convention from December 7 to 9. The second meeting of the faction’s 15th Central General Convention Preparation Committee held on Wednesday proposed a schedule for conventions from the ward level to the central level. The committee has proposed forming four committees for convention preparations by Bhadra 18, including the Central Election Committee, Active Membership Review and Management Committee, Statute Amendment Committee and Discipline Committee. It has also proposed forming ad hoc committees for the Nepal Women Association, Nepal Student Union, Nepal Tarun Dal, Nepal Dalit Association and Nepal Indigenous Nationalities Federation.
Govt focused on social media during disaster: Angdembe
Nepali Congress (NC) parliamentary party leader Bhishmaraj Angdembe has accused the government of focusing on social media rather than carrying out timely rescue operations during the Bhotekoshi flood. Speaking at a meeting of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Angdembe said the government had failed to respond sensitively to the disaster. Referring to workers and laborers trapped inside a hydropower project tunnel, he alleged that the government did not initiate search and rescue operations in time. He said the first 72 hours were crucial for search and rescue efforts, but the government did not appear to pay adequate attention during that period. According to him, the government contacted the concerned hydropower project for search and rescue only on the seventh day.
Rasuwa flood: US donates 40 tons of emergency relief supplies
More than 40 tons of emergency relief supplies provided by the US humanitarian organization Samaritan’s Purse to support communities affected by the Bhotekoshi floods have arrived in Kathmandu. The US Embassy in Kathmandu said the shipment include water filters, tarpaulins, blankets, sanitation kits and solar lights. The assistance will be distributed to 2,600 families through local organizations working in the flood-affected areas. The embassy said it is coordinating with the Government of Nepal and various partners to provide life-saving assistance based on the needs of communities affected by the disaster.
Schools in flood-affected areas closed indefinitely
Schools in Nuwakot affected by flooding in the Trishuli River following the Bhotekoshi flood have been closed indefinitely. All schools in the flood-affected areas of Bidur Municipality and Kispang Rural Municipality have been closed. Meanwhile, Belkotgadhi Municipality and Tarakeshwar Rural Municipality have said that the operation of educational institutions in the affected areas remains uncertain. Bidur Mayor Rajan Shrestha said there are no immediate plans to reopen schools, as students, teachers and parents have been displaced or remain unaccounted for following the floods. Damage to school buildings, roads and bridges has also made travel difficult.
Floods, landslides block major highways
Continuous rainfall has disrupted road connectivity across several districts, with landslides, floods and river erosion blocking major highways and forcing authorities to introduce alternative routes. According to the Nepali Police, traffic has been completely halted on some road sections because of landslides and floods, while alternative routes have been arranged in other areas. The Prithvi Highway has been completely blocked at Krishnabhir in Benighat Rorang Rural Municipality-7, Dhading, after erosion caused by the Trishuli River. Traffic has also been disrupted at Parewabhir in Gajuri Rural Municipality-2, where around 20 to 25 metres of the highway was washed away by flooding.
India sends fifth Air Force plane carrying 5.5 tons of medicines to Nepal for disaster relief
India has sent a fifth military aircraft to Nepal to support the ongoing search, rescue, and relief operations following the devastating August 26 Bhotekoshi disaster. Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar said in a post on X that the fifth aircraft carrying relief supplies had departed for Nepal. According to Jaishankar, the Indian Air Force aircraft is carrying an 11-member team of experts, advanced search and rescue equipment, and 5.5 tonnes of essential medicines to support relief efforts in Nepal. Following the severe disaster in the Bhotekoshi area, India has stepped up the delivery of rescue and relief supplies to Nepal.
Tunnel and bypass road proposed as long-term solution to Krishna Bhir landslide
The government said it will immediately construct a temporary structure to reopen the Prithvi Highway, which has been disrupted by the Krishna Bhir landslide. At the same time, authorities said they will study the feasibility of constructing a tunnel or bypass road as a long-term solution to the recurring landslide problem. Minister for Physical Infrastructure Sunil Lamsal said discussions were held on measures to restore traffic along the Prithvi Highway and address the disruption through both immediate and long-term solutions. A meeting held at the ministry decided to construct the necessary temporary structure to resume vehicle movement and restore the supply chain to the capital. Under the plan, vehicles will operate through a section supported by a gabion breast wall on the hillside.
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