Catastrophic floods in Nepal
What happened. According to Nepali media reports, the disaster is linked to the collapse of a large mass of ice and rock that temporarily blocked a mountain stream before bursting as a wave downstream through the Bhote Koshi-Trishuli-Narayani river system. Newer assessments interpret the seismic signal as a consequence of the collapse, not an earthquake; sources differ on the exact location and which side of the border it was on.
Water crossed the country in hours. At 09:05, the water entered from the Tibetan side; by 15:20, it had travelled about 181 km along the river to the Narayani near Devghat. From there, the river continues towards the Indian border.
Why this is a tourism story. This was not a disaster somewhere on the border: the flood cut across the whole country, from Tibet to the Indian border. It hit major transport hubs, swept away numerous bridges and roads, and destroyed entire villages. That is why Rasuwagadhi-Kerung, Syabrubesi, Pokhara and Chitwan are not a random list of place names, but connected points along a corridor used by tourists, pilgrims and local residents. Tourists returning from the kora around Kailash use the Rasuwagadhi-Kerung crossing; treks into Langtang begin near Syabrubesi, while the Trishuli Valley links the area with Pokhara - the starting point for treks to Annapurna - and Chitwan, a national park of jungles, elephants and rhinos. Damage to roads and communications here can leave travellers isolated.
Pilgrims. For Hindus, Buddhists and followers of animist traditions, 28 August was considered an auspicious date. Thousands were heading to Gosainkunda; Indian pilgrims travelled via Rasuwagadhi-Kerung to Manasarovar in China.
644 tourists out of contact
According to the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB):
| Country | Tourists out of contact |
|---|---|
| India | 178 |
| Nepal | 127 |
| USA | 65 |
| Ukraine | 53 |
| Malaysia | 51 |
| Australia | 35 |
| United Kingdom | 33 |
| Canada | 25 |
| Singapore | 9 |
| Russia | 8 |
| Germany | 8 |
| Latvia | 6 |
| South Africa | 6 |
This is a count of people who could not be reached, not a confirmed death toll. Damaged roads and communications, as well as people still travelling through the Chinese border crossing, may explain some of these cases; the figures do not allow conclusions about any particular person’s fate.
Flood wave path
- 08:40 — Syabrubesi: The last reading from the river station before data transmission was lost.
- 08:50 — Syabrubesi: The station stopped transmitting data.
- 09:05 — Rasuwagadhi: Reports said a major wave entered from the Tibetan side.
- 09:20 — Betrawati: The hydrological station stopped transmitting data.
- 10:28 — Galchhi: A forecast for the wave's movement to this sector was published.
- 11:26 — Phurke / Malekhu: The level at the Phurke–Malekhu gauge exceeded the danger mark.
- 11:50 — Malekhu: The wave's arrival at Malekhu was confirmed in a report.
- 13:00 — Muglin: The wave passing through Muglin was confirmed.
- 14:14 — Kalikhola: The level at the Kalikhola gauge exceeded the danger mark.
- 15:20 — Narayani–Devghat: The wave's arrival at Narayani–Devghat was confirmed.
- 16:00 — Devghat: The peak level was recorded at the Devghat gauge.