Authorities in Bihar’s West Champaran, East Champaran, Gopalganj and Muzaffarpur stepped up preparedness, including evacuation of residents from vulnerable areas to safer locations, after a flash flood in the Bhote Koshi River upstream killed at least nine people in the neighbouring Nepal and Tibet, washed away villages and damaged infrastructure on Wednesday.At least nine people were killed in neighbouring Nepal and Tibet. (Reuters)Major casualties were feared in Nepal and Tibet. Videos showed crumbling homes in the floodwaters and floating cars as authorities urged people on the banks of the Bhote Koshi River to move to higher ground.ALSO READ | Flash flood hits Nepal’s villages, washes away roads and bridges; several killedThe Bhote Koshi River is a headwater tributary of the Kosi River system, which enters northern Bihar in Supaul after flowing through Nepal. Authorities in Bihar feared a sudden surge in water flow into the Gandak River.Bihar chief minister Samrat Choudhary said a close watch is being kept on the possibility of a rise in water level in the Gandak in view of the floods in Nepal. He said a committee under the chief secretary and the police chief has been formed to watch the situation. “If necessary, I will also visit Valmiki Nagar to assess the situation,” Choudhary said in Patna.In Delhi, an official said Union home minister Amit Shah has spoken with Choudhary about possible flooding due to torrential rains and a glacial outburst in Nepal. Shah assured Choudhary of all possible assistance from the central government to tackle the potential crisis.The official said that teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were being mobilised to handle any emergency. In Bihar, officials have identified areas such as Jhandu Tola, Bin Toli, Chakdahwa and Kailashnagar as vulnerable areas.Gopalganj magistrate Sameer Saurabh said the district is prepared to tackle all eventualities. He added that a 30-member NDRF and a team of the State Disaster Response Force were at Chawahi near Gopalganj, where officials suspected pressure on the embankment at Haujepur village.Wasim Akram, the circle officer of Bagaha-2, said efforts have been launched to evacuate about 250 families dwelling in low-lying areas in Jhandu Tola, Bin Toli and Chakdahwa to a safer place. “Arrangements for their stay have been made in a government school at Bherihari and other places.”Videos of the administration warning villagers about a possible rise in water levels in Bagaha-1 block went viral.West Champaran magistrate Taranjot Singh said all the field formations have been activated.Iqbal Anwar, an executive engineer in Valmikinagar, said the water level at Devghat in Nepal, about 80 km from Valmikinagar, has been rising. “We are expecting about 300,000 cusec of water at Valmikinagar barrage in the next five to six hours. As precautionary measures, all 36 gates of the Gandak barrage are being opened in a phased manner. Supply of water into the canal is being disrupted,” he said.