Kathmandu. Rasuwa has suffered a huge loss of life and property due to the massive flood in the Bhotekoshi River from the Nepal-China border area. So far, 1,313 people have been rescued alive in the district due to floods through Lhende River while 3,071 people are still out of contact.

According to Assistant Chief District Officer and Information Officer Druva Prasad Adhikari, 1,227 Nepalis and 86 foreign tourists have been successfully rescued in the floods and landslides with the active participation of security personnel and locals. A total of 145 pilgrims and locals stranded due to floods and stranded in Gosainkunda area have been safely evacuated to Nuwakot and Kathmandu by helicopter. Helicopters have been used for relief and rescue operations in remote areas and road network disrupted.

The number of people who have gone incommunicado after the disaster is high in the district. Employees of 27 Nepal Army, 28 Nepal Police, 13 Armed Police Force, 79 government employees and 26 employees of banks and financial institutions are still out of contact. Similarly, 1,370 tourists from Rasuwa, 1,262 from other districts and 266 foreign tourists are out of contact, said Assistant CDO Adhikari.

Of the bodies recovered during the disaster, six have been identified and handed over to their relatives. The bodies of Janak Acharya, Gangadevi Shrestha, Puduli Tamang, Ashbir Tamang and Ashish Baniya of Uttargaya-5 and Tshering Gyalmo Tamang of Gosaikunda-6 have been identified. Of the 163 bodies found in different places, five have been identified and the rest are being identified for the process of identification and DNA test, said Assistant CDO Adhikari.

Floods and landslides have caused a huge damage to the physical infrastructure of Rasuwa. According to preliminary information, 1,500 private houses have been completely or partially damaged. Similarly, 28 government and public institutions, eight community schools, three private schools and 14 bank buildings have been damaged.

Similarly, 41 km of highway and road section, which is considered the backbone of the district, has been blocked. Six concrete motorable bridges, eight truss and bailey bridges, one arch bridge and 10 suspension bridges have been swept away or damaged by the floods. Eight hydropower projects in the district have also been badly damaged.

A total of 7,033 people displaced from Thathalo have been kept in 12 different safe shelters in the district. Arrangements have been made to provide shelter to the dependents at Dhunche-based City Center, Komin Shyame Wangphell Secondary School, Ganesh Basic School and other places. So far, 136 relief materials have been distributed in the affected areas. Despite the disaster, electricity has been restored to 83 percent of the population of the district, while Nepal Telecom’s communication service has been restored in all areas.