Over 400 trucks, 1,000 people missing after Nepal floods

Devastating floods along the Bhotekoshi River in Nepal have resulted in catastrophic losses for the cargo container trucking industry operating near the Rasuwa-Gyirong border and the Trishuli corridor. Transport operators report that more than 400 container trucks and over 1,000 individuals associated with them are unaccounted for.

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More than 400 drivers alone are missing. When helpers, traders and customs agents are included, the number is much higher.

The missing people include drivers, helpers, laborers, and traders. These individuals were working with the trucks, which were en route to transport goods for upcoming festivals like Teej, Dashain, and Tihar. Arjun Bahadur Sapkota, president of the Nepal Truck Container Transportation Service, stated that the whereabouts of these trucks and their crews remain unknown after they were swept away by floodwaters.

Sapkota highlighted that approximately 966 container trucks are registered with his association, with about 175 having traveled towards Kerung shortly before the floods to collect cargo. He estimated that over 400 drivers alone are missing, and when helpers, traders, and customs agents are included, the total number of missing people could exceed 1,000. Vehicles from various transport associations were also affected, suggesting the damage is widespread.

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Rasuwagadhi Customs clears the vehicles, but the national park checkpoint in Dhunche only allows vehicles to operate from 7 am to 7 pm. After paying customs duties, 70 to 80 trucks were forced to line up along the highway for three or four days.

Adding to the tragedy, transporters are pointing fingers at customs and checkpoint procedures. Sapkota blamed impractical rules and delays for forcing trucks to remain parked along the road, sometimes for days, after completing customs procedures. He asserted that vehicles parked unsafely were particularly vulnerable to being swept away by landslides and floods, implying that timely passage could have significantly reduced the losses. Around 30 to 40 container trucks were reportedly swept away in the Betravati area alone.

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It was those vehicles, parked unsafely along the road, that were swept away by the landslides and floods.