Details of Lhende flood damages unveiled, 55 rescued, 18 still missing

Kathmandu, July 8: Details of scale of damage caused by floods in the Lhende rivulet and the Bhotekoshi river along the Nepal-China border on Saturday night to the dry port at Rasuwagadhi in Rasuwa district has been released.

Assistant Chief District Officer (CDO) of Rasuwa, Dhruba Prasad Adhikari, shared that the devastating floods swept away 23 good ferrying containers, 6 freight vehicles and 35 new electric vehicles.

Likewise, 20 people have been reported missing since the disaster. Among them, three are Nepali Police personnel, five working as drivers in the dry port and six Chinese nationals.

The dam site of the 111-mega watt- Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project has been washed away by the swollen river thereby completely halting the power production in the project.

Similarly, the debris of flood entering the 20-megha watt Chilime hydropower project has completely obstructed the generation of electricity in the project. Repair and maintenance of the project has been taken forward to re-operate it at the earliest.

The dam site of 60-mega watt Upper Trishuli ‘A’ hydro power centre has also sustained damages in the flood and landslide, according to the Nepal Electricity Authority.

Further details of damages are awaited, police said.

Meanwhile, the Nepali Army personnel have airlifted 55 people stranded in the riverbank to safer locations, Adhikari informed.

The raging Lhende river also swept away Miteri Pul (Friendship Bridge), along the Nepal-China border, he said, adding that direct connectivity to Kerung in China has been cut off thereafter.

Shortly after passing this point, the Lhende River merges with the Bhotekoshi River.