Industry Odisha Bureau, Aug 31: China has given USD 2.2 million in financial assistance to Nepal for victims of the devastating flass flood, as President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Qiang expressed condolences over the loss of lives and property, the Nepal government said on Monday.
The aid includes NPR 350 million (about USD 2 million), from the Chinese government. USD 200,000 from the Chinese Red Cross. The support came as Nepal’s flood toll rose to 903, with nearly 4,250 people still missing.
Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Zhang Maoming handed over a cheque for NPR 350 million to Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle on Sunday, the Finance Ministry said. The envoy also handed over USD 2,00,000 in assistance from the Chinese Red Cross to the Nepal government, it added.
On behalf of Xi and Li, Zhang told Wagle, “Nepal is not alone in this disaster, China is always with Nepal”. The ministry said the Chinese leaders expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives in the disaster. They also conveyed their condolences to the victims’ families.
The flash flood struck northern and central Nepal on August 26. It is believed to have been triggered by a collapse or avalanche of ice and rock near the Nepal-Tibet border. The Bhotekoshi River, which flows south from the Himalayan border region, carried the floodwaters downstream. It swept away homes, vehicles, roads and bridges and damaging hydropower projects.
The disaster has also affected the Chinese side, where 16 people were killed, while nearly 550 people remain missing in Tibet. The flood has left heavy damage and a rising hum toll on both sides of the border.
