Twenty-two persons have been confirmed dead and dozens remain missing after a flash flood swept through Rasuwa and neighbouring districts on Wednesday, disrupting communications and making rescue operations difficult.

Thirty-two security personnel from the Nepal Police and Armed Police Force are also missing in Timure, Rasuwa. Search and rescue teams have been deployed across the affected areas.

The flood has left 60 people associated with the 20-megawatt Langtang Khola Hydropower Project out of contact, according to project promoter Bijay Mohan Bhattarai.

Twenty-five engineers, drivers and kitchen staff and 35 workers who were inside a tunnel have been out of contact since Wednesday morning, Bhattarai said.

“There were 25 people, including engineers, drivers and kitchen staff, and another 35 were working inside the tunnel. We have not been able to contact them since morning,” he said.

The hydropower project had been completed and was scheduled to undergo testing in two days, Bhattarai said.

Fifteen employees of the Rasuwa Customs Office in Timure are also missing, according to Rajendra Dhungana, chief of the customs office.

The Nepali Army has rescued 88 people caught in the flood, army spokesperson Rajaram Basnet said. Thirteen of those rescued have been admitted to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu for treatment, while the others have been moved to safe locations locally. Some injured people are receiving treatment at Trishuli Camp, he said.

Twelve helicopters, including four operated by the Nepali Army and others by private companies, had been deployed for the rescue operation.

Rescue flights have been repeatedly disrupted by poor weather. From Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu, 29 private and six military helicopter flights have so far been made to the flood-hit areas of Rasuwa, according to the airport’s rescue coordination centre. Of those, 23 private and two military helicopters returned to Kathmandu carrying injured people.

Three helicopters carrying rescue and relief supplies to Rasuwa were also forced to turn back because of bad weather. The airport said adverse weather was also making it difficult to send additional helicopters into the affected areas.

Home Minister Sudan Gurung and Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Khadak Raj Paudel have been coordinating rescue and relief flights from TIA.