Nepal: Flash flood along China border sweeps away Miteri Bridge with 200 vehicles
The Bhotekoshi River forms the border between Nepal and China, and houses a dry port where the vehicles were kept.
The flooding was triggered by heavy rainfall on the Chinese side, and caused extensive damage infrastructure in the Timure area on the Nepali side. The floods struck the area early morning on Tuesday
Many of the 200 vehicles kept in the customs port near the river have been swept away by the flash flood triggered by heavy rainfall, Arjun Paudel, Chief District Officer of Rasuwa, was quoted as saying by ANI.
'Many of the vehicles kept in the customs port along the Bhotekoshi River have been swept away by the flash flood after heavy rainfall on the Chinese side. At the time of the flood, about 200 vehicles were there at the customs port,' he said.
There were no reports of casualties or injuries at the time of writing this article.
However, as per the ANI report, authorities have also received inputs hat some people may have been swept away along with the vehicles.
The 18 missing are 12 Nepali citizens and six Chinese nationals, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.
'The flood hit the area at around 3am (local time). No human casualties have been confirmed as of now but we have received information that some people also has been swept by the flood along with the vehicle in the morning who were sleeping inside those parked along the dry port,' Assistant Chief District Officer of Rasuwagadhi Druba Prasad Adhikari was quoted as saying by ANI.
Officials have further said that 12 of the Nepal Police personnel are trapped in the area of the flooding, while the authorities are in touch with the Nepal Army to conduct a search and rescue operation.
Many traders have also been stranded as the bridge that connects Nepal and China has also been washed away due to the flash flood.
'We are in contact with the Nepal Army to conduct a search and rescue operation in the area as we have information that 12 of the Nepal Police personnel also are trapped in the locality. The water level is still high and the weather is also inclement,' Paudel said.
The cause of the flash flood is still under investigation. Police suspect that heavy rainfall in the Tibetan region may have triggered the surge, but the exact reason has not yet been confirmed.
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