Nepal flash flood sweeps away villages, cripples vital infrastructure near Tibet

A massive flash flood swept through Nepal’s mountainous Rasuwa district on Wednesday, washing away villages and damaging roads, bridges and hydropower projects in a region bordering Tibet, as authorities warned of possible casualties and urged residents living along the Bhote Koshi river to move to higher ground.

The worst-hit areas were reported to be Syapru Besi and Timure, where thousands of people live amid steep Himalayan terrain and along the river’s path. Officials said the scale of the destruction was still being assessed, with no immediate figures available for deaths, injuries or property losses.

"We have reports of villages and infrastructure project sites being washed away," district administrator Narendra Pariyar was quoted as saying by Reuters.

Pariyar warned that the situation could be serious, saying there could be "heavy casualties or loss of property", although authorities were yet to establish the full extent of the damage.

The sudden inundation has raised fresh concerns in a region already scarred by a deadly flood on the same river last year. The immediate cause of Wednesday’s flooding was not known, but the previous disaster was eventually linked to the draining of a glacier lake in Tibet.

Nepal’s Ministry of Water Resources said several hydroelectric projects had been damaged by the flood, while roads and bridges were also affected. The destruction has disrupted electricity supplies in the area, adding to the difficulties facing communities already cut off or isolated by the flooding.

With the situation developing rapidly, the government moved to mobilize emergency teams. Prime Minister Balendra Shah said rescue and relief personnel, along with police and military teams, had been deployed to support evacuation and relief operations.

"Instructions have been given ... to move the people living in the lower areas to safer places," Shah said, urging residents near the river to remain extremely cautious.

(Rohit Wadhwaney from Kathmandu contributed to this report)