Nepal is once again confronting the destructive force of nature, with flash floods sweeping through communities along the Bhote Koshi and other rivers, killing dozens and leaving hundreds missing. The disaster has devastated settlements, roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure in northern Nepal, while a mudslide in Tibet has also caused deaths and left hundreds missing. Rescue operations have been complicated by swollen rivers, damaged roads and difficult mountain terrain.
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The scale of the disaster has also exposed Nepal's vulnerability to hazards that can quickly cross geographical boundaries. Officials have warned people to stay away from the banks of the Bhotekoshi, Trishuli and Narayani rivers, while helicopters have been deployed to rescue people stranded by floodwaters. The same region experienced a deadly flash flood last year, when a glacial lake outburst in neighbouring Tibet killed at least nine people and damaged the bridge linking Nepal and China.
