KATHMANDU — A catastrophic flash flood along the Bhotekoshi River has swept through Rasuwa district, killing at least 17 people and leaving 26 Nepal Police personnel unaccounted for.

According to DIG Abi Narayan Kafle, Central Police Spokesperson, contact has been completely lost with 26 officers deployed across security posts in Tinmure, Syabrubesi, Mailung, and Rasuwagadhi. Search and rescue teams from the Nepal Army, Nepal Police, and the Armed Police Force (APF) have been mobilized across the disaster zones to locate the missing personnel and trapped civilians.

Emergency Rescue and Medical Mobilization

• Air & Ground Rescue: Medivac teams equipped with Mass Casualty Vehicles (MCVs) and medical personnel are on standby, with airlifting operations underway for critically injured survivors.

• Disaster Relief System (DRS): Emergency relief containers are being dispatched to the affected areas, with additional DRS units redirected from neighboring regions.

• Drone Surveillance: APF teams are utilizing drones over flooded banks to identify trapped residents and assess structural damage in real time.

• Rasuwagadhi Customs Operations: Rescue teams are actively digging through rubble at the Rasuwagadhi customs office and yard, where several individuals remain buried following secondary landslides.

High Warning for Downstream Communities

Authorities warn that the river blockade upstream has not fully filled, posing an ongoing burst hazard. Residents along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli River corridors have been instructed to move immediately to higher, safer ground until further notice.