Nepal has issued a new warning, stating that the affected country is on high-alert for more floods as the hard-hit Himalayan border region turns into swampland.
The new flood warning comes in the midst of an increasing number of deaths and missing persons. According to officials, more than 600 people have died and at least 2,426 people are missing following devastating flash floods on the Nepal-Tibet border on Wednesday.
Nearly 3,000 people are still missing including 2,426 in Nepal and at least 554 in Tibet’s Gyirong County.
Continuous downpours are severely hampering emergency responders’ efforts to access the hardest-hit regions along the Trishuli, according to local correspondents.
Meanwhile, distraught families, including relatives of numerous missing foreign nationals, remain in limbo, anxiously awaiting updates on their loved ones.
“Search and rescue operations have been temporarily halted because it is raining and the weather is foggy,” Narendra Pariyar, the top bureaucrat for the badly hit Rasuwa district, said.
After the disastrous floods, the country of 30 million is required to have $4-$5 billion to rebuild infrastructure after the deadly destruction.
To precipitate the rescue efforts, Nepal seeks foreign technical help for tunnel rescues, DNA testing and restoring transport.
“We have already made requests for such specialised services and technical assistance in areas where we don’t have enough expertise and technical know-how,” Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said.
