More than 2,500 buildings have been destroyed in Nepal’s Trishuli Valley following devastating glacial floods that swept through the region on August 26, according to an analysis of satellite data from Europe’s Copernicus Emergency Management Service.
The scale of the destruction represents roughly two-thirds of all buildings across three affected areas examined by the satellite-based observatory. When buildings that suffered partial damage are included, more than 70 per cent of structures in the surveyed areas were affected.
The affected areas include parts of Timure, Syabrubesi and Bidur, communities located north of Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu. Nearly 6,000 people lived in the three areas before the disaster.
The floods were described as having a tsunami-like force as enormous quantities of water rushed down the valley, sweeping away buildings, roads and bridges and leaving widespread destruction in their path.
Satellite analysis showed that Timure and its surrounding areas lost more than 80 per cent of their buildings, making it one of the worst-hit locations.
In Syabrubesi, nearly three-quarters of the buildings were destroyed. The town is known as a starting point for the Langtang trekking route and is also used by Hindu pilgrims travelling through the region.
Further downstream, the destruction was particularly severe around Bidur, the administrative centre of Nuwakot district and a base for rescue operations. More than 1,800 buildings were destroyed around the riverbanks there, representing about three out of every five structures in the affected area.
The disaster has also severely disrupted transportation and relief operations. Several roads and bridges were destroyed or damaged, making it more difficult for emergency teams to reach affected communities and deliver assistance.
Scientists have linked the flash floods to the collapse of a huge glacier in the Himalayas. The resulting floodwaters reportedly travelled approximately 20 kilometres before reaching the Gyirong border post between Nepal and Tibet, in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region.
The flood then continued downstream through Nepal, devastating communities along the Trishuli Valley.
Authorities and rescue teams are still assessing the full extent of the disaster. Satellite imagery covering the area around Bharatpur, Nepal’s third-most populous city, was still being analysed as of Monday.
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