KATHMANDU, Aug 27: A technical report prepared by the Flood Forecasting Division on Wednesday’s Bhotekoshi-Trishuli flooding has shown that effective early warnings helped prevent a much greater loss of life.
At 9:05 a.m., the division received information that a major flood had entered the Bhotekoshi River in Rasuwa from the Tibet side. Further analysis showed that the flood impact gradually spread downstream through the Bhotekoshi into the Trishuli River. According to information provided by Nepal Police, 157 bodies had been recovered by Wednesday night.
Early warning system installed on Doda river banks
From the onset of the flooding, the Flood Forecasting Division continuously issued early warnings and safety messages to relevant districts, riverside communities and residents of high-risk settlements, based on available water level and flood flow data and incoming information. The report said these early warnings helped many people save their lives.
According to the report, a magnitude 4.4 earthquake occurred at 8:37 a.m. At 8:40 a.m., the Bhotekoshi Syafrubesi hydrological station stopped transmitting data. The last recorded water level at the time was 1.62 metres. The river’s warning level had been set at 6 metres and its danger level at 9 metres.
