Trapped in 70 km/h Torrents: Warning Systems Fail Amid Sudden Floods

[Anchor]

Massive currents rushing at speeds of up to 70 kilometers per hour swept directly through a construction site and a village, sending workers and residents scrambling desperately to escape. The tense situation was captured on video.

Reporter Ha Jeongyeon has the details.

[Reporter]

Torrential water surges down the valley at a terrifying speed, and workers at a hydroelectric power plant construction site start running for their lives.

[Oh my god! Run quickly!]

Moments later, house-sized muddy waters swallow the site with a deafening roar.

As the fierce currents threaten to engulf the village as well, panic-stricken residents scatter in terror.

Vehicles and motorcycles trying to evacuate are mixed with fleeing residents, turning the village into a scene of utter terror.

[Shoyam Rajbhandari / Local resident: When I arrived at the market, the flood struck in just 30 minutes and destroyed the entire market. People were preparing to go to work at the time.]

People monitoring the situation near the bridge are also startled by the massive torrent and rush to safety, just before a mud tsunami strikes and the bridge collapses helplessly.

It is reported that the flood warning sounded only after the fast-moving currents, reaching up to 70 km/h, had already reached the village.

[Suraj Sigdel / Mercy Corps Nepal Director: Nothing worked. Neither the early warning systems installed in the area nor any devices functioned.]

Even though a flash flood occurred in this region in July of last year, washing away a bridge connecting China and Nepal, prompting China to agree to immediately notify Nepal if water levels on its side of the river rose and to strengthen information sharing, it is reported that cooperative systems between the two countries failed to function properly during this major flood, leading to a greater loss of life.

(Video editing: Yoon Tae-ho)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.