A devastating flood triggered by a Himalayan collapse in Nepal has swept debris and bodies nearly 200 kilometers downstream, with three victims recovered in the Gandak river in Maharajganj, Uttar Pradesh.
The surge, which originated at the Nepal-Tibet border, caused widespread destruction across several Nepalese districts, including Chitwan, where 132 bodies were recovered. Indian border security officials confirmed the discovery of two women and one man in the river on Thursday.
The disaster unfolded rapidly, with the flood reaching the border area just seven minutes after the initial seismic signal at 8:37 a.m. on Wednesday. Hydrologist Sauharda Joshi of Nepal’s Department of Hydrology and Meteorology noted that earlier notification from Tibet could have significantly reduced casualties. Authorities were only alerted after the torrent had already entered the Bhote Koshi river.
Nepal’s Flood Forecasting Division issued over 600,000 SMS warnings to residents along the riverbanks after receiving information at 9:05 a.m. The floodwaters moved through the Trishuli and Narayani rivers before crossing into India, where the waterway is known as the Gandak. SSB inspector Arun Pandey confirmed that the recovered bodies are believed to have been carried from Nepal into Indian territory.
