Nepal warns of possible fresh flooding as communities grapple with devastation

Authorities in Nepal warned of possible fresh flooding on Sunday and urged residents in flood-affected districts to remain on high alert after water levels rose in the Bhotekoshi River.

Flood warning notices were sent to people’s phones early Sunday as rescue crews worked to clear a major highway connecting Kathmandu to one of the areas worst hit by Wednesday’s catastrophic floods, which killed at least 800 people and left more than 3,000 missing in Nepal and Tibet.

In Dhading, one of the worst-hit regions in Nepal, some residents began returning to ruined homes to see what can be salvaged.

Residents sat in homes with walls washed away by the floods, shovelling sludge-like mud and rubble off balconies. Others scanned the ground for items they could pick out of the mud and rinse off. One man had returned for his chickens, which he found alive. He tied them up and put them in the cabin of his truck.

“Everything is finished. Nothing is left. Not even our home,” Sharmila Tamang, a Dhading resident who was trying to salvage items from her home, told The Associated Press.

At a key power plant that was severely damaged by the floods, workers started inspecting the facilities Sunday to survey the destruction. The plant serves more than 20,000 people across four districts.

In the town of Galchhi, a group of residents sought higher ground on a nearby bridge and watched as the river roared by. Some pointed to enormous rocks washed downriver during the earlier floods, while others standing on a suspension bridge were warned off with whistles.

Along the river, homes, vehicles and farm tractors could be seen jutting from the thick grey-brown sediment that enveloped entire villages in some areas. Parts of rice terraces along the riverside had dropped into the river after landslides hit them.

WATCH | Nepal-Tibet flash flood death toll continues to climb:

Nepal-Tibet flash flood death toll climbs as fears of 2nd flood grow

CBC News is on the ground in Nepal, where fears are growing that a swollen artificial lake formed by this week’s massive flash flood along the Tibet border could cause another flooding disaster. So far at least 579 people have been confirmed dead, while almost 2,000 are still missing.

Nepal’s disaster agency said Sunday the death toll had climbed to 788 with 2,502 missing, while Chinese authorities reported 16 deaths and 546 missing on the Chinese side of the border.

The missing include hundreds of people from over a dozen countries who were in the region to work, visit the mountains or make a pilgrimage to a sacred peak. On Sunday, Chinese state media said 261 foreigners were missing in Tibet, including over 100 Nepalis and others from around the world.

Residents are receiving constant flood warnings

Homes and businesses left intact after the flooding were still without electricity on Sunday, as twisted power line poles and wires lay tangled in the mud.

Prithivi Highway is a crucial supply route for food, fuel and other goods entering Kathmandu from other parts of the country. While most of the highway is operational, other parts still face repair challenges.

The latest warnings came after Chinese authorities informed their Nepalese counterparts of increased water flow upstream, according to Dharam Raj Uprety, chief executive of Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.

But residents of the flood-hit villages said they were struggling to make sense of near-constant alarms they’ve received since the initial floods.

“Sometimes they say a flood is coming, then we have to run again to higher ground, even at night. There is also rain,” said Govind Shreshta, a resident. “It’s really difficult for me. I have a 72-year-old father and 70-year-old mom. I must carry them and I am exhausted. It’s going on like this for those who are still alive.”

Large concrete and smaller suspension bridges were destroyed, leaving communities on the other side of the river with less easy access.

“Those who are there are now stuck there. Those who are here are stuck here. It’s going to be very difficult,” said Sattan Singh Tamang, 47, who was working near a bridge when Wednesday’s floods came.

Nepalis have become victims of climate change: minister

Wednesday’s flash floods started after a glacial collapse high in the Himalayan region. Scientists who studied satellite images said bedrock underneath a glacier high in the Himalayan region had collapsed, taking part of the glacier with it. The rockfall was so extreme that it registered as magnitude 5.2.

The rocks and melted water then swelled the rivers in the valleys below, causing a torrent of water that swept buildings, bridges and earth downstream in Tibet and Nepal.

Nepal’s foreign minister called for a global response to climate change, saying Nepal was bearing a disproportionate share of its impact.

“Despite having only 0.1 per cent contribution to the global emissions, people of Nepal have become major victims of climate change,” Shisir Khanal said Saturday.

Scientists have said it is too early to draw a direct connection between global warming and Wednesday’s catastrophe. However, they said that as Earth’s temperature rises because of human activities such as burning oil, gas and coal, the chances of such disasters increase, especially in the Himalayan mountains, which are warming considerably faster than many other parts of the world.