NEW DELHI, August 26. /TASS/. Rescuers in Nepal have recovered the bodies of at least 16 people killed in flooding in the country’s north, India TV reported.
According to preliminary data, around 1,000 people may have been swept away by floodwaters. The figure has not been officially confirmed, and the exact number of people affected remains unknown as search-and-rescue operations continue.
So far, 20 people have been rescued in the affected areas. Fifteen helicopters are involved in the operation, seven of them belonging to the Nepal Army and the rest to other agencies.
Authorities have urged residents living along the Bhote Koshi River to remain vigilant and move to higher ground amid fears of further flooding. People needing help and those out of contact have been advised to light fires so rescuers can spot the smoke.
At least 60 workers building the Langtang Khola Hydropower Project have gone missing in the flash flood, project Managing Director Bijay Mohan Bhattarai told reporters.
