The number of people who remain out of contact following the Bhotekoshi-Trishuli flood, which originated in Tibet, continues to rise.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) said on Monday that the number of people reported out of contact in the flood had reached 4,247.
That represents an increase of 1,745 people in a single day.
The authority’s figures released on Sunday night had put the number of people out of contact at 2,502.
To understand how the number increased by nearly 2,000 in just one day, Setopati spoke with the authority’s spokesperson, Under Secretary Shanti Mahat.
According to Mahat, such data is first collected by the District Emergency Operations Center (DEOC) based at each District Administration Office.
During such disasters, the DEOCs collect information and send it to the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC). The information is then verified and made public by the authority.
Mahat said that the sharp increase on Monday was largely because updated lists of people out of contact were received from Rasuwa and Nuwakot.
According to the authority’s data, 1,558 people in Nuwakot were reported out of contact on Monday, while the figure for Rasuwa stood at 865.
As of Sunday night, only 115 people in Nuwakot had been reported out of contact, while the figure for Rasuwa was 562.
The number of people reported out of contact in the two districts alone therefore increased by 1,746 in a single day.
“The total number increased because the number of people out of contact rose in these two districts alone,” she said.
Mahat said that the number also rose sharply because people affected by the disaster had reported cases to the authorities late due to the circumstances created by the disaster itself.
She added that the figure published as people “out of contact” could also include people who have died.
“Until they are identified, they are kept on the list of missing people. Many of the bodies recovered so far have not yet been identified. Therefore, it is highly possible that the number of people who have died is also included in the figure for those out of contact,” she said.
Mahat said that the authority publishes only information formally registered and submitted by relevant agencies with official documentation, and does not include figures based solely on verbal reports.
According to her, information sent by government agencies is also included in the list.
“There may be separate figures for missing people reported by offices in the upper catchment areas of Rasuwa. Separate details sent by the district’s DEOC are also included,” she said.
She said that the information is cross-checked and verified to prevent duplication in the list.
“We have therefore asked anyone whose family member is out of contact to first file an application with the District Emergency Operations Center in the relevant district,” she said.
Mahat said that the authority is also in the final stages of developing the ‘Setu App’, which will allow members of the public to register information. The app is also being designed so that individuals can view the relevant details.
“Because several relatives of the same person may have submitted information, we are trying to provide more verified and updated data on missing persons,” she said.
Rasuwa Assistant Chief District Officer Dhruba Prasad Adhikari said that the number of people reported out of contact in the district could rise further.
“There has been extensive damage here. It is difficult even to collect accurate details. We are still gathering information,” he said. “More is yet to come.”
He said that the Rasuwa administration is also preparing to release details of people reported out of contact within the district.
