APF builds temporary foot trails to resume post-flood movement

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, July 11: Following the devastating wee our floods in the Bhotekoshi River on July 8, vehicular movement along the Syaphrubesi-Rasuwagadhi road section was completely halted. In response, security forces have constructed a temporary foot trail to resume movement through the affected region.

According to the Armed Police Force (APF) Nepal, Headquarters, on Thursday, over 485 stranded individuals have been safely escorted along the provisional route.

Additionally, two stranded container trucks and an electric vehicle (EV) that had been stuck in the customs yard were relocated to a secure area.

The flood inflicted significant damage on life and property. A total of 20 individuals, including three security personnel, 14 Nepali nationals, and six Chinese citizens, have been reported missing. 

As of now, nine bodies have been recovered, while only one has been identified. Remains of eight other individuals, severed human body parts, have also been found. These remains have been transferred to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj for further examination and identification.

The bodies and body parts were discovered across a wide area, including Belkhu (Gajuri-6), Keurenitar (Galchi-2), Lamabagar and Charaundi (Benighat Rorang-3), Malekhu (Gajuri-2) in Dhading district, Shirkhali and Maranpati (Bidur-3) in Nuwakot district, and along the banks of the Trishuli River and Uttargaya River in Rasuwa.

 The flood, triggered by a heavy sediment-laden surge from the Lhende Stream merging into the Bhotekoshi, took a destructive turn and severely damaged the Nepal-China border bridge located in Rasuwagadhi, Gosainkunda Rural Municipality-2.

Consequently, the Rasuwagadhi border checkpoint remains closed, with power supply and communication services disrupted in the affected region, said APF’s Police Headquarters Spokesperson and DIG Kalidas Dhaubaji.

Joint rescue efforts involving the Nepali Army, Armed Police Force, Nepal Police, and local volunteers are underway, said Dhaubaji. 

On July 8 alone, 55 people, including 50 Nepali nationals, four Indian nationals, and one Chinese citizen, were successfully rescued. Among them were four women and 51 men. The APF confirmed that 23 individuals were airlifted by a Nepali Army helicopter, while the rest were evacuated using various rescue methods.

Furthermore, 165 residents from households at risk were also relocated to safety using private helicopters on July 8 and 9. The Bhotekoshi flood has swept away 42 electric vehicles (EVs), 23 cargo container trucks, six truck loaders and excavators, eight heavy equipment units, 30 welding machines, and 20 grounding machines. 

It also caused severe damage to EV charging stations, the dam, headworks, and labour camps of the Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project, and the tunnel infrastructure of the Chilime Hydropower Project.

In response to the disaster, the District Disaster Management Committee has convened an emergency meeting, mobilising all relevant local bodies for search, rescue, and reconstruction efforts, according to the APF.

91 stranded Nepalis rescued from Kerung

Meanwhile, our district correspondent Ganga Kumari Mijar added that a total of 91 Nepali stranded in Kerung, China, following the recent devastating floods in Rasuwa, have been rescued and relocated to a safe place by the Chinese authorities, according to Rasuwa’s Chief District Officer (CDO) Arjun Paudel. 

The rescued individuals are currently being provided with essential food and lodging facilities in Kerung. “They will remain under safe shelter until the situation normalizes,” said CDO Paudel. 

He also emphasised the importance of effective coordination between the concerned authorities of both Nepal and China.

Minakshi Thapa Magar, a member of the Rasuwa District Committee of the CPN-UML and a representative of the National Youth Federation Nepal (Bagmati Province), said that local traders successfully relocated commercial goods, including readymade garments, fabric rolls, shoes, and slippers, from 20 containers stationed in the Nawagaya area of Rasuwagadhi prior to the flood.

“The traders took swift and cautious action to prevent potential losses, which is truly commendable,” Thapa Magar said.

According to the Rasuwa District Administration Office, rescue, relief, and rehabilitation operations are being carried out with urgency. Local security forces, administrative bodies, and other stakeholders are working in close coordination to manage the affected areas efficiently.