Technical report details Bhotekoshi flood’s journey from Tibet to Devghat

A detailed technical report has emerged, tracing the devastating journey of floods that ravaged Nepal's Bhotekoshi, Trishuli, and Narayani rivers. The deluge originated from a glacial lake in Tibet, which burst after being blocked, unleashing a torrent of water. This massive surge swept away four automatic hydrological monitoring stations along its path.

The flood's origin was preceded by a 4.4-magnitude earthquake recorded on Wednesday morning. Shortly after, the floodwaters entered the Bhotekoshi from the Tibetan side. The Flood Forecasting Division initiated continuous alerts and SMS warnings to communities along the riverbanks. In coordination with local telecom providers, nearly 700,000 early-warning messages were dispatched to residents in vulnerable districts.

The report outlines a precise timeline of the flood's progression. Data transmission from the Bhotekoshi-Syafrubesi hydrological station ceased shortly after the earthquake. Information about the major flood entering from Tibet was received around 9:00 am, prompting the first wave of SMS alerts. By 9:20 am, the Betrawati hydrological station also stopped transmitting data. The flood reached the Galchhi area of Dhading by 10:28 am, with further alerts issued. The Fhurke Khola station crossed warning and then danger levels before being swept away with its bridge around 11:43 am. The flood passed Muglin by 1:00 pm, with authorities issuing a renewed warning that the Tibetan lake had not fully drained.