In the wake of devastating floods that wreaked havoc in Rasuwa, the entire security mechanism has been mobilised for rescue and relief operations in the flood-hit areas.

According to Arjun Paudel, chief district officer of Rasuwa, rescue efforts are ongoing with teams working round the clock to evacuate those stranded in flood affected areas.

“We are fully deployed in the field. We rescued more than 150 individuals including 127 foreign nationals and airlifted to Kathmandu,” said Paudel.

“Electricity and telephone services are also disrupted in the area, making rescue and other operations difficult. We are currently maintaining limited communication through the Chinese border. Efforts are underway to restore telephone connectivity and resume electricity supply,” said Paduel.

One of the rescue operations turned tragic when Assistant Head Constable of the Armed Police Force, Bishal Thapa, was injured after falling off a cliff. He was rescued and medevaced to Kathmandu for medical treatment.

The most significant damage, officials say, has occurred along the Nepal-China border. The Miteri Bridge (Friendship Bridge) has been swept away by the flood. The customs yard has also suffered major losses, with 15 to 20 vehicles buried under the debris—some completely, others partially. “Cracks have formed throughout the area, prompting authorities to declare it a red zone,” said Paudel. According to him, security personnel are coordinating with vehicle owners to retrieve and safeguard goods.

Authorities fear that several missing persons may have been swept away or buried in the customs yard. Search operations are underway, but the absence of heavy equipment and impassable roads are hampering progress. According to Paudel, an estimated 1,100 meters of road across 10 locations have been severely damaged.

Over 2,000 people remain cut off, with only a few days’ food supply. “Efforts are now focused on delivering food, restoring power and communication lines, and continuing search and rescue operations,” said CDO Paudel.

So far, nine deaths have been confirmed, but only five of the bodies are in a condition that can be identified, said Senior Superintendent of Police Sanjay Singh Thapa, spokesperson for the Bagmati Province Police Office. Search operations for 19 people missing following the devastating flood in Rasuwa on Tuesday morning are ongoing, Nepal Police said.

Police teams have been deployed along the banks of the Trishuli and Narayani rivers, extending to districts including Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Chitwan, and Nawalparasi, as efforts continue to locate those swept away by the floodwaters.

The body of Assistant Sub-inspector of Police Lal Bahadur Shrestha, who went missing during the flood in Rasuwa, was recovered in Chitwan on Tuesday evening.

The flood was triggered by intense rainfall and possibly a glacial lake outburst on the Chinese side of the border, which caused the Bhotekoshi river to swell rapidly. Officials in Nepal were unaware of the flood until the waters reached Betrawati, the border point between Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts, due to the lack of a real-time data-sharing mechanism with China.

The sudden surge of water swept away roads, bridges, hydropower infrastructure, and vehicles, including several container trucks and electric vehicles parked at the Rasuwagadhi dry port. The Friendship Bridge, a key trade link between Nepal and Tibet, was also destroyed, severing cross-border transit and trade.

Experts have highlighted Nepal’s vulnerability to climate change and extreme weather events, stressing the urgent need for improved early warning systems and cross-border cooperation to prevent such disasters in the future.

Monsoon-induced disasters reported in several places

A landslide at ward 3 of Malika Rural Municipality in Myagdi district claimed the life of a man while his young son went missing on Wednesday.

According to police, Jakendra BK, aged 35, died after being buried by a landslide while collecting firewood near a forest close to his village. His 12-year-old son Saroj, who was with him at the time, is still unaccounted for. Deputy Superintendent of Police Surya Bahadur Thapa, confirmed the incident and said that search efforts are ongoing to locate the missing child.

The incident occurred following heavy rainfall in the region. According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology’s rainfall monitoring station in Darbang, Malika Rural Municipality received 115 millimeters of rain from 6 am to 2 pm on Wednesday, contributing to the landslide.

In Nawalparasi, unabated rainfall in Nawalparasi West on Wednesday has left one child missing, flooded 45 houses in Bardaghat area and caused a major road collapse near Daunne.

Krishna Mallah, aged 13, of ward 3 of Susta Rural Municipality went missing after being swept away by the Narayani river while attempting to collect drifting firewood, according to police. Mallah had entered the river with friends when the incident occurred.

Despite warnings from local authorities, residents frequently wade into the flooded Narayani river during monsoon season to gather firewood for cooking and selling. Such incidents are common every year, but the risky practice continues.

Meanwhile, 45 homes in ward 10 of Bardaghat Municipality were inundated after heavy rains from Tuesday night. Local Devi Datta Paudel said that blocked drainage caused rainwater to accumulate, submerging the area. Although no casualties were reported, residents have moved belongings and livestock to safety.

In Daunne, part of the Narayanghat-Butwal road section of East-West Highway near the Khursanikhola collapsed due to the rain, disrupting traffic for some hours. Vehicles were trapped in the mud until a temporary diversion was created and the damaged section repaired.

(With inputs from Ghanshyam Khadka in Myagdi and Nabin Paudel in Nawalparasi)