Flash Flood in the Himalayan Region Claims at Least 165 Lives and Numerous Missing

The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) confirmed upon inquiry that the Swiss authorities had not yet been able to establish contact with a Swiss national who had been in the region. A spokesperson told the media: "Zu einer Schweizerin konnte das EDA bisher noch keinen Kontakt herstellen." The department's crisis unit has been activated.

Swiss National Missing

According to initial analyses by the US earthquake service USGS, the flood was triggered by heavy and sustained rainfall in the Himalayan region. The combination of steep slopes, previously loosened soil following the monsoon season, and rapidly rising river levels led to a sudden discharge of large volumes of water into the lower-lying valleys.

Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, also felt the impact: rivers burst their banks in several parts of the city, and flight operations were temporarily suspended. Residents were urged to move to higher-lying areas. The Nepalese government established a national emergency fund and appealed to international partners for assistance.

Cause of the Disaster

Chinese authorities said they were coordinating rescue operations on the Tibetan side through a joint hotline with Nepalese authorities. According to unconfirmed reports in regional media, villages in the border region were under water for hours before the flood wave subsided. The exact number of those affected on both sides of the border remains unclear.

Among the fatalities in Nepal are pregnant women and children, according to local media reports. At one hospital in the particularly affected region, the power went out during the night, forcing operating theatres to continue running on emergency generators. Eyewitnesses reported that relatives searched for family members for hours.

Several countries, including India and the United Nations, pledged humanitarian assistance. India dispatched a team of disaster relief workers and medical supplies to the border region, according to the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi. The World Meteorological Organization announced that it would work together with the national weather services to investigate the causes in greater detail.

International Aid and Research

The Himalayan region is repeatedly affected by such extreme weather events. Local research projects include, among other things, measuring soil quality in order to better assess the risks – for instance, by burying underwear, the degree of decomposition of which provides insight into soil activity. The results of such long-term studies feed into early warning systems.

The search for the missing continued late into Friday evening. Authorities warned that the death toll could rise further once remote areas become accessible. Swiss nationals in Nepal were urged to contact the embassy in Kathmandu and to follow the FDFA's travel advice.

Background: Extreme Weather in the Himalayas

Separately, preparations were underway for possible further aid deliveries. Swiss aid organizations were reviewing which goods – from drinking water treatment plants to blankets – could be transported to the region at short notice. Nepal has repeatedly received international assistance following earthquakes and floods in the past.

On Thursday, severe storms had also swept across parts of the country. The Zambian online service reported the previous day under the headline "Fire at maternity ward: at least 14 babies killed in Pakistan" about a fire in a maternity ward in Pakistan that claimed the lives of at least 14 infants. According to current findings, this report is not directly connected to the flash flood in Nepal.