Nepal Disaster Authority issues fresh Bhote Koshi alert as river flow surges, flood threat grows

Kathmandu: Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) on Sunday issued an urgent public safety warning following reports of a sudden increase in the roar and water flow of the Bhote Koshi River.

Authorities have urged residents and relief teams along downstream settlements to exercise extreme caution and remain vigilant.

In an official update posted on X, the NDRRMA cited alerts received from local authorities on the ground. The fresh warning affects three major downstream districts that were severely impacted by the catastrophic August 26 flash floods.


Communities near the Rasuwa riverbank, including areas near the Nepal-China border, have been instructed to monitor water levels closely.

Emergency services and local administration units along the river basin have been placed on standby in Nuwakot & Dhading.

"The District Administration Office, Rasuwa, has received information that the sound of increased flood flow in the Bhote Koshi River has been heard. Therefore, we request that caution be exercised in the areas around the river up to Rasuwa, Nuwakot, and Dhading. We will provide further updates as soon as additional information is received," posted NDRRMA, Nepal.

Meanwhile, the death toll from the catastrophic Rasuwa Bhote Koshi flash floods has risen to 675, with emergency teams recovering bodies and human remains across multiple downstream districts, according to the latest updates released by Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA).

As of 6:30 pm, a total of 2,418 individuals remain missing or out of contact following the deluge.

Additionally, 287 Indian nationals and 128 Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) remain unaccounted for across the impacted zones.

However, four Indian nationals trapped at a hydropower project in Rasuwa were rescued today as search and emergency operations intensify across Nepal following catastrophic flash flooding, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed in an official update issued on Saturday evening.

The rescued individuals, identified by the Ministry as Ripu Kumar, Chaneshwar Narzary, Kripa Shankar, and Mohammed Minhajuddin, are being transported to Kathmandu.

According to official figures released by the MEA, 88 Indian nationals have been rescued from flood-affected regions so far. Currently, 120 Indian nationals have successfully crossed into Nepal from China earlier today.