KATHMANDU: After monsoon floods destroyed Nepal’s main bridge to China and killed at least nine people, dozens of rescuers combed the banks of a mountain river on Wednesday in search of those who were missing.
Numerous rescuers have already arrived at the scene, according to police, and more are anticipated to join the rescue operation. Nine corpses have been found in the river. According to the Rasuwa District Administration Office, security authorities have so far rescued 55 people, including four Indians and one Chinese.
Top ministers and officials flew to the region with Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli. Tuesday night, Oli convened an emergency meeting and directed all government agencies and security personnel to support the rescue and recovery operations.
The Friendship Bridge in Rasuwagadi, 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of Kathmandu, was destroyed by water on the Bhotekoshi River early Tuesday. Additionally, a number of homes and trucks parked for customs inspections at the border were washed away. At the crossing post, hundreds of Chinese-imported electric cars had been parked.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, 13 Nepali and 6 Chinese nationalities are among the 19 people who are missing.
According to state media, the Chinese Embassy in Nepal said that the eight Nepalis and the Chinese were employed at a construction project on the Nepali side of the border that was aided by China.
All traffic along this route between China and Nepal has been suspended due to the bridge’s destruction. Shipping products from China to India and then transporting them by land to Nepal is the most time-consuming option.
In Nepal, monsoon rains, which start in June and last until September, frequently result in severe floods that disrupts infrastructure and puts lives in danger.
