- Floods hit the Nepal-Tibet region, leaving hundreds dead and 1,300 missing.
- Canadian hiker Jacklin, camping near Lake Mansarovar, interacted with local families before learning they died in the floods.
- Jacklin expressed his grief, stating, "The loss of life has been unimaginable."
- He described comforting devastated locals, saying, "You can just see the devastation in their eyes," and expressed feeling 'gutted' and 'helpless'.
- Climate experts reported that Trishuli River water levels rose by as much as nine metres in half an hour.
- Global Affairs Canada stated that establishing communication with Canadians on the ground was challenging due to power outages, with 820 Canadians registered in Nepal and five in Tibet.
- Nepal’s ambassador to Canada, Bharat Raj Paudyal, reported that at least a dozen Canadian families are seeking information about missing relatives, with rescue teams deployed by helicopters.
- Paudyal described the disaster as unmatched in intensity, stating, "I have never seen such a scale, such a magnitude of disaster."
- Jacklin confirmed he and his expedition group are alive, expressing gratitude: "I’m feeling grateful right now, because I’m realizing how fast a life can change."
A Canadian hiker in Nepal, who survived recent catastrophic floods, described the situation as 'gutted' and 'helpless' as rescuers scramble to find the missing.
The floods, triggered by a glacial collapse, have resulted in at least 165 deaths and 826 people missing in Nepal alone, with 30 Canadians reported missing, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand.
Jacklin, the hiker, recounted his shock at the rapid devastation, stating, 'I’m in complete shock. I remember 24 hours earlier, interacting with these families.' He added, 'The loss of life has been unimaginable.'
The disaster has severely impacted communities along the Lhende Khola river system, washing away infrastructure and burying homes in mud. 'It is very difficult to reach there at the moment,' said Bharat Raj Paudyal, Nepal’s ambassador to Canada, highlighting the challenges faced by rescue teams.
The U.S. Geological Survey initially misidentified the cause of the disaster as a magnitude 4.4 earthquake, later clarifying it was due to an ice and rock avalanche that triggered the floods. Climate experts noted that water levels in the Trishuli River surged by nine metres in half an hour.
As of Wednesday, 820 Canadians had registered as being in Nepal, with many families seeking information about their missing relatives. Jacklin expressed gratitude for his survival, reflecting on the fragility of life, stating, 'How a village is thriving today and tomorrow it is completely devastated.'
“Climate experts at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development said water levels in the Trishuli River rose by as much as nine metres in half an hour. Nepal's ambassador to Canada, Bharat Raj Paudyal, said at least a dozen Canadian families have contacted his office seeking information about missing relatives, and rescue teams have been dropped by helicopters due to damaged roads.”
