Heavy casualties feared as flash flood sweeps across parts of northern Nepal - BBC

**Heavy casualties feared as flash flood sweeps across parts of northern Nepal**

A sudden flash flood triggered by heavy monsoon rains and the rapid melt of glacial meltwater surged through the remote districts of Mustang, Myagdi and the upper reaches of the Gandaki basin on Tuesday night. The torrent, which officials say may have been amplified by a breach in a high‑altitude lake near the Tibet border, ripped through narrow valleys, washing away entire hamlets, roads and a number of ongoing development projects. Satellite images captured by the Nepalese Space Agency showed extensive scouring of riverbanks and the disappearance of several villages that had been perched on the floodplain for generations.

Local authorities, together with Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), reported that rescue teams were dispatched within hours, but the sheer scale of the destruction hampered immediate access. Preliminary assessments indicate that dozens of people are missing and many more are injured, prompting the government to declare a state of emergency for the affected districts. The Red Cross Society of Nepal and several international NGOs have set up temporary shelters in the nearby town of Pokhara, while the army is employing helicopters to air‑lift survivors from isolated mountain communities.

The flooding has also raised concerns downstream in India’s Bihar state, where the Gandak River is expected to swell as it carries the excess water across the border. The Assam Tribune noted that authorities in Bihar have placed districts on high alert and are bolstering flood‑defence measures along vulnerable stretches. Nepal’s Prime Minister has appealed for regional cooperation, urging neighboring countries to monitor river levels and coordinate relief efforts to mitigate further loss of life and property.