Kathmandu— A sudden flash flood along the Bhotekoshi River near the Nepal-China border on Wednesday morning has caused widespread devastation, claiming the lives of 359 people and leaving another 910 unaccounted for. The disaster impacted both Nepali citizens and foreign nationals, with 517 foreigners among those missing. Rescue efforts are ongoing, involving a large deployment of security personnel and aerial support.

Rescue Operations Underway

As of Thursday evening, authorities had mobilized 13,295 security personnel to assist in the rescue operation. A total of 69 helicopter flights were conducted throughout the day, successfully rescuing 796 individuals, including 50 foreign nationals. In addition to aerial rescues, 756 people stranded by the floodwaters were also rescued via land routes.

Rescue and recovery efforts continue as authorities work to locate those still missing and assess the full extent of the damage.

(With inputs from RN)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.