Authorities in Nepal have warned of potential new flooding on Sunday and advised people living in flood-affected districts to stay vigilant following an increase in the Bhotekoshi River’s water level
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Flood warning notifications were issued to people’s phones throughout Sunday morning as rescue workers tried to evacuate a main route connecting Kathmandu to one of the places most severely affected by Wednesday’s devastating floods.
In the town of Galchhi, a group of residents sought higher ground on a nearby bridge and watched as the river roared by.
People pointed to enormous rocks that had been washed downriver during the earlier floods, as others standing on a suspension bridge over the water were warned off with whistles.
The thick grey-brown muck that has covered entire communities in the worst-hit flood areas was visible along the river, with entire houses, cars, and farm tractors protruding from it. Parts of the rice terraces along the river were dropped into the river due to landslides.
Death toll rises to 750 with over 3000 missing
Latest updates on Sunday showed the combined toll in Nepal and Tibet rose to 750 dead and over 3,000 people missing.
According to Nepal’s disaster agency, the death toll had climbed to 734 with 2,498 people missing, while Chinese authorities reported 16 deaths and 546 missing, including over a hundred Nepalis and people from over a dozen countries.
The latest warnings came after Chinese authorities informed their Nepalese counterparts of increased water flow upstream, Dharam Raj Uprety, chief executive of Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, told the Associated Press.
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 local resident Govind Shreshta. “It’s really difficult for me. I have a 72-year-old father and a 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 that 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 the floods came.
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.
Additional sources • AP
