Bhotekoshi Flood: 3,029 Rescued, 1,558 Report Missing

Nuwakot: More than 3,000 people stranded by the flood in the Bhotekoshi River have been rescued.

According to District Disaster Management Committee Coordinator and Chief District Officer Shambhu Prasad Regmi, 3,029 people had been rescued from various places in Rasuwa and Nuwakot as of Sunday night. Of them, 2,776 are Nepali citizens and 253 are foreigners. A total of 624 people were rescued in the previous 24 hours, according to Pradya Regmi.

“Those who took shelter in safe places after saving their lives from the flood were rescued by helicopter,” Pradya Regmi said. “After examining their health, those who need treatment have been referred to health institutions accordingly, while the rest have been reunited with their families.”

The rescue of people stranded in the Bhotekoshi flood is continuing, except for those believed to be inside the tunnel of the hydropower project. Regular helicopter searches are being conducted in Timure, Syafrubesi, Mailung and other areas of Rasuwa, according to Pradya Regmi.

Meanwhile, more than 1,500 applications have been filed by Sunday from various places stating that people are missing in the Bhotekoshi flood. Superintendent of Police Bipin Regmi, Chief of the District Police Office, said 1,558 applications have been received from Nuwakot and Rasuwa regarding missing family members.

According to him, applications for the search and rescue of missing persons can be submitted through the Nepal Police website, District Police Office, Administration Office and Shree No. 1 Military Training Center, Bidur.

A joint security force team is actively conducting search and rescue operations for people missing or trapped in the flood with the assistance of helicopters, trained dogs and drone cameras.

So far, 95 bodies of people who lost their lives in the flood have been recovered in Nuwakot. The bodies were recovered during search and rescue operations conducted by joint security teams at 30 different locations in the district.

Police have released descriptions and photographs of the recovered bodies for identification. The bodies have been sent from Nuwakot to the Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, for examination. The concerned families have been requested to contact the hospital.