NUWAKOT: More than 3,000 people have been rescued following the devastating flood that swept through the Bhotekoshi River on the morning of August 26.
District Disaster Management Committee Coordinator and Chief District Officer of Nuwakot, Shambhu Prasad Regmi, said 3,029 people severely affected by the flood had been rescued from various locations in Rasuwa and Nuwakot as of Monday night.
Of those rescued, 2,776 are Nepali citizens and 253 are foreign nationals. A total of 624 people were rescued in the past 24 hours, according to Regmi.
“Those who reached safe locations after escaping the flood were rescued by helicopter,” Regmi said. “After their health was assessed, those requiring medical treatment were referred to health facilities, while the others were reunited with their families.”
The rescue operation for people trapped by the Bhotekoshi flood has entered its final phase, except for those believed to be inside a tunnel of a hydropower project. However, regular helicopter searches are continuing in Timure, Syafrubesi, Mailung and other areas of Rasuwa to determine whether anyone remains trapped, Regmi said.
Meanwhile, more than 1,500 missing-person reports have been filed in connection with the Bhotekoshi flood. As of Sunday, 1,558 applications had been received from various parts of Nuwakot and Rasuwa reporting missing relatives, according to Superintendent of Police Bipin Regmi, Chief of the District Police Office.
He said applications for the search and rescue of missing persons can be submitted through the Nepal Police website, District Police Office, District Administration Office and Shree No. 1 Military Training Centre in Bidur.
A joint security team is continuing search and rescue operations for people missing or trapped in the flood, using helicopters, trained search dogs and drone cameras.
Meanwhile, 95 bodies have been recovered in Nuwakot so far. The bodies were recovered from 30 locations during search and rescue operations conducted by joint security teams.
Police have released photographs and details of the recovered bodies to assist with identification. The bodies have been sent to the Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, for examination, and the concerned families have been urged to contact the hospital for further information.
Comment