A total of 117 tourists have been rescued from flood-hit areas of Nepal, including 85 Indians, the Nepal Tourism Board said on Friday, as rescue operations continued for a third day following devastating flash floods.The rescued tourists include 16 Chinese nationals, nine from South Korea, two each from the US and Italy, while the identities of three others are yet to be confirmed, according to news agency ANI.The flash floods that swept through Rasuwa and other parts of central Nepal on Wednesday have killed at least 538 people, while nearly 1,000 others remain missing, the Associated Press reported citing officials. The disaster caused widespread damage to settlements, roads, bridges and hydropower projects.Nepal Police said 1,545 injured and stranded people have been rescued so far, while 7,451 security personnel have been deployed for search-and-rescue operations.Among those rescued, 84 people are currently receiving treatment at hospitals in Kathmandu. Helicopters have been deployed to reach isolated areas and evacuate survivors, while ground teams continue searching riverbanks and downstream settlements.Police said 977 people, including 86 security personnel, 517 foreign tourists and 127 Nepali travellers, are still missing.Fresh flood threat after barrier lake formsAuthorities have also warned of a possible second wave of flooding after a rise in the water level of a newly formed barrier lake near the Nepal-Tibet border.The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) said the rising water level at the site of Wednesday’s flash flood had increased the risk of further flooding.“The water level mixed with mud has increased at the same place where the flash flood occurred on Wednesday, and there is a risk of more flooding in the area,” the NDRRMA said in a fresh notice.The authority urged people involved in rescue operations and those staying in the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli areas to remain highly alert and move to safer locations if necessary.Nepal Police also issued a warning after receiving information that a water dam on the Tibetan side had burst again.“Information has been received that the water dam on the Tibetan side has burst again,” Nepal Police said in a post on X.According to Nepal Police, 178 bodies have been recovered from Chitwan, 110 from Nawalparasi East, 44 from Gorkha, 37 from Nuwakot and 33 from Dhading.Another 28 bodies were recovered from Tanahu, 27 from Nawalparasi West and 12 from Rasuwa. Three people were also reported killed in neighbouring Tibet.China issued a Level-IV emergency alert late Thursday after a large barrier lake formed near the confluence of the Chhochen Khola and Purepu Tsangpo rivers near the Nepal-Tibet border.Nepal’s Department of Hydrology and Meteorology had earlier warned of a fresh flood risk downstream of the Bhotekoshi River following the formation of the lake.Chinese authorities informed Nepal that around 2 million cubic metres of water had accumulated in the lake, with another 3 million cubic metres potentially entering it over three days, raising concerns about a possible breach.The lake formed near rivers originating in Tibet that flow into Nepal as part of the Bhotekoshi river system.Meanwhile, the Nepal government has decided to suspend all examinations from August 29 in view of the situation following the natural disaster.
