RASUWA: Twenty-eight police personnel have been reported missing after a powerful flood swept through the Timure area of Rasuwa on Wednesday morning.

Earlier reports said nine people, including Armed Police Force (APF) Inspector Ambir Khatri, had gone missing after the flood struck Timure Bazaar at around 9 am. A Nepal Police team deployed in the area has also lost contact, although the exact number of missing Nepal Police personnel has yet to be confirmed.

According to sources, 30 personnel were stationed at the APF Border Out Post (BOP) in Timure. Six were on leave and 15 have been confirmed safe. The remaining nine personnel, who were on duty when the flood struck, are unaccounted for. The BOP itself is reportedly safe from damage.

Initial reports suggest that the massive flood, which entered Timure from the direction of China, caused extensive damage to houses, shops, hotels and vehicles, particularly in the Ledo and Mato Bazaar areas. Eyewitnesses said floodwaters have entered the market, with the river now flowing through parts of the settlement.

Meanwhile, floodwaters have also inundated the Nuwakot District Prison. According to the prison administration, water rose to approximately the height of one floor of the facility.

All prisoners have been moved to a safe location, the prison administration said, adding that the water level has started to recede.

Floodwaters from Rasuwa are flowing downstream through the Trishuli River. The Flood Forecasting Division has warned that the rising water level near Galchhi in Dhading could reach Muglin within a few hours. It has urged residents of settlements and market areas along the Trishuli River to evacuate and move to safer locations.

Authorities have placed riverside areas in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha and Chitwan on high alert due to the risk of further flooding.