Nepal: Flood near popular tourist destination sweeps away village
Police and military helicopters have been sent to Mt Sorbmegaisa near Tromsoe on Norway’s Arctic coast on Monday, with rescue workers also using dogs in their search.
A river near one of Nepal's most popular Himalayan resorts burst through its banks on Saturday, the Associated Foreign Press reported. Floods swept away an entire village, killing 13 people and leaving 17 more missing. Most of the dead are locals, but three Russian tourists are the missing as well, BBC News reported. And the bodies of the 13 victims included three unidentified foreigners, United Press International reported. The flood occurred in Pokhara, Nepal's second-largest city, and swept away the Kharapani village. The village is near Mount Annapurna, one of Nepal's most popular tourist destinations, according to the AFP.
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The flash foods were triggered by an avalanche in the Annapurna mountain range, The Himalayan Times reported. “We have already deployed a rescue team comprising local administration, police and army in rescue of the flood victims. To intensify the rescue operation, a helicopter has been sent to the incident site," Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai said in a statement, according to the Times.
The Annapurna region, standing 26,545 feet tall, attracts thousands of adventure-seeking trekkers every year, the AFP said. Its not as tall as Everest, the world's highest peak, but it has a much higher death rate among climbers because it is technically difficult and avalanche prone.
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