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🇹🇼 Taiwan /Disasters & Emergencies

Nepal Landslides Kill 95, Leave 400 Missing; India Personnel on Standby for Rescue

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Severe landslides and floods in Nepal have resulted in at least 95 deaths and nearly 400 disappearances.
  • No Taiwanese nationals have been reported among the casualties, while India has dispatched personnel to the border for potential rescue operations.
  • The disaster has caused significant damage to infrastructure, including bridges and a hydroelectric power plant, with many missing individuals believed to be pilgrims heading to Tibet.

Nepal is grappling with a devastating natural disaster as severe landslides and floods have claimed at least 95 lives and left nearly 400 people missing. The calamity struck areas near the Tibetan border, causing widespread destruction to critical infrastructure, including bridges and a hydroelectric power plant. The scale of the disaster is underscored by the large number of missing persons, many of whom were reportedly pilgrims en route to Tibet.

Currently, there is no news of Taiwanese people being killed or trapped.

— Chen Mu-min, Representative of Taiwan to IndiaChen Mu-min, Taiwan's representative in India, stated that after contacting Nepalese expatriates and local contacts, there were no reports of Taiwanese casualties or entrapment.

Initial reports indicate a significant number of foreign tourists are among those unaccounted for, with 105 Indian tourists and 384 others from countries including the United States, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, and the Netherlands listed as missing. The Representative Office in India, which handles affairs for Nepal, has confirmed that no Taiwanese nationals are among the casualties or are known to be trapped. This is partly attributed to the region not being a major tourist destination for Taiwanese due to visa complexities.

India has mobilized its resources to support Nepal's rescue and relief efforts. Indian personnel are stationed at the border, ready to deploy for rescue operations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken with his Nepalese counterpart, Balendra Shah, offering condolences and pledging full support for the relief mission. The Indian National Disaster Response Force is on standby in the affected Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, where flood alerts have been issued and evacuations are underway.

The disaster occurred in the area of Nepal near Tibet. Because it is not easy to obtain a visa, it is not a popular tourist destination for Taiwanese people.

— Chen Mu-min, Representative of Taiwan to IndiaChen Mu-min explained why Taiwan is less likely to have nationals affected by the disaster, citing visa difficulties and the region's lack of popularity among Taiwanese tourists.

Experts suggest the recent deluge may have been triggered by a glacial lake outburst flood, a phenomenon exacerbated by rising temperatures. Similar events have occurred in the region previously, highlighting the vulnerability of the area to climate-related disasters. The Nepalese government has issued an orange travel advisory, urging citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Nepal and to remain vigilant and maintain contact with family.

The information we have obtained is that there were no Taiwanese people in the area at the time of the incident. The area has since been designated a dangerous zone by the authorities and is temporarily closed, so it is unlikely that Taiwanese people will go there in the short term.

— Chen Mu-min, Representative of Taiwan to IndiaChen Mu-min provided further context on the absence of Taiwanese nationals in the disaster zone, noting its closure by authorities.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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