Rasuwa floods: Hundreds of vehicles missing
Hundreds of trucks and containers missing, driver and helper unknown
{{} Pramila Karki, Nepal News Bank
Kathmandu. The massive flood in the Bhotekoshi River has caused a huge loss of life and property along the border, badly affecting the container and transportation business.
A large number of trucks and containers have been swept away in the floods and landslides that occurred in the Timure-Syafrubesi area of Rasuwa on August 26. Arjun Bahadur Sapkota, chairman of Nepal Truck Container Transport Service, said that more than four hundred trucks and containers have gone missing due to the floods. Talking to Nepal News Bank, he said that drivers and helpers of most of the vehicles that went missing in the floods are yet to come into contact. He said that although the search and rescue operation was underway in different places, the condition of a large number of drivers and helpers is still unknown.
He said, “As per the information, about four hundred vehicles and our containers are now missing. The drivers and co-drivers of the vehicles are completely incommunicado. We are still searching. The state is also investigating.” Sapkota said that many drivers and helpers are still out of contact even after five to six days of the floods, adding that he is very disappointed about the possibility of finding them alive. He said that while some of the drivers who managed to escape from Timure came into contact, the condition of many others is yet to be ascertained.
“I have met only one or two drivers in the day, drivers who managed to escape from Timure, but no one else has been found,” he said.
Sapkota said that it was difficult to collect exact details of which vehicles had already entered Kerung at that time, how many were on the road, how many were at the customs yard and how many vehicles were returning after completing the customs process. The details of the vehicles are being collected in coordination with various truck and container business associations.
The data is being collected in collaboration with Himal Trans-border Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sindhupalchowk Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Federation of Truck and Container Entrepreneurs, among others.
According to him, the initial list of two to three hundred vehicles has been prepared so far. But since not all the vehicles are affiliated to the same organization, it is taking more time to integrate the details.
“Not all the containers are registered with us alone. Some are registered with the Narayani Sangh, some are registered with the Balkhu Sangh. Some are associated with the Tipper Association. So now it is difficult to integrate all the details,” Sapkota said.
45 vehicles swept away in Syafrubesi and 35 in Ronga
Entrepreneurs say that there are a large number of vehicles around Syaphrubesi during the floods. According to Sapkota, there are around 45 vehicles in Syaphrubesi alone and he has come to know that those vehicles were swept away while trying to remove them during the floods.
According to him, the drivers of the vehicles in the area did not get enough time to get to a safe place immediately. He said, “There were 45 vehicles in Syaphrubesi, but when we came to know about the flood, we tried to remove the vehicles.
One of the drivers said that all the vehicles were ready and tried to flee but they could not escape. He said that about 35 vehicles parked in rotation in the Ronga area above Syaphrubesi were also swept away by the floods.
Vehicles returning from customs were also stranded
Sapkota said that due to the floods, the vehicles that had completed the customs process were also affected. He said that the vehicles that had already paid the customs duty and returned from China with goods were stopped in the danger zone.
According to him, there were a large number of vehicles in the customs area. He said that about 70 to 80 vehicles were on the way out after completing the customs process and many of them were flooded.
“70-80 vehicles that had already paid the customs duty were found on the way out. Only the vehicles that have paid revenue at the border points, which collect crores of revenue every day, are in such a situation,” Sapkota said.
He said that the state should review the possibility that the ban on the movement of vehicles on the road at night may have increased the risk. He said that the damage could have been minimized if the vehicles were allowed to come down from the customs area safely.
“We have to see whether the vehicles would have been safe even if they had been allowed to come overnight, till Dhunche or if they had stopped at Kalikasthan.
Sapkota said that the goods of traders have also suffered a loss of millions of rupees
Along with the damage to the trucks and containers, the goods of the traders loaded in them have also been badly damaged. He said that the loss to the traders could be even bigger as high value goods are being brought to Nepal from China especially when the festival is approaching.
He said, “One vehicle was carrying goods worth more than a crore rupees. Due to this, the traders are also suffering a lot of losses. It has been reported that only about 150 vehicles coming from above were in the yard without customs.” According to him, about 83 vehicles on the other side, 71-72 vehicles that have completed the customs process and other vehicles on the road have also been affected by the floods.
Sapkota said that the cost of the vehicle alone is worth millions, the actual loss is yet to be known
in terms of the value of the vehicles damaged in the floods.
New containers and trucks cost between Rs 80-90 lakh, while old vehicles will cost Rs 30-35 lakh to Rs 50-60 lakh.
However, he said that the exact details of which model have been washed away are not ready and the total amount of financial loss cannot be announced right now.
“If you have to buy a new car chassis, it costs more than Rs 90 lakh. Old vehicles will cost Rs 30-35 lakh. 10 wheelers will cost Rs 57-58 lakh. It is not possible to ascertain how much and how much is old,” Sapkota said.
Businessmen are also collecting details related to the insurance of the drivers and helpers involved in the floods. Sapkota said that although most of the vehicles have some type of insurance, not all of them are of the same nature.
He said that it may be difficult to get direct compensation as some businessmen only have third-party insurance. However, he demands that the family should be provided with the amount and facilities as per the insurance system applicable to drivers and co-drivers.
Sapkota said that although bodies were found in different places after the floods, many bodies could not be identified. Businessmen and family members are trying to identify the bodies by mobilizing teams in different places. According to him, only a few of his workers and drivers have been identified and some have been cremated.
“The bodies of our workers are in the condition of only three to four people. They have already understood two of them. The cremation of the people of Barhabise-7 and Bhotekoshi-3 has also been completed,” said Sapkota.
He said that the state should pay more attention to the process of identification and verification by systematically picking up the dead bodies in the case of their bodies.
Demand for data and compensation from the state
According to Sapkota, the businessmen are now collecting the details of the missing drivers, helpers and workers first. Along with this, the number of damaged and missing vehicles, the concerned businessmen, the status of insurance and other details are also being prepared.
He said that the state should prepare the official data by coordinating with the business organizations.
According to him, the actual loss data can be obtained only by integrating the details of vehicles associated with various organizations.
According to him, the number of vehicles is likely to increase further than the initial estimate. At present, it is estimated that four to five hundred vehicles have been damaged, but after collecting the data, the number could go up to five hundred or six hundred, he said.
Diplomatic initiative needed
Entrepreneurs are also worried about the condition of Nepali containers on the Kerung side of China after the floods. According to Sapkota, some vehicles are safe in China after loading goods, while some vehicles have been stopped there before coming to Nepal.
According to him, about 20 loaded and sealed vehicles are safe in Kerung. Similarly, about 155 vehicles were preparing to go towards Kerung to load goods, but the movement was affected due to the floods, he said.
Sapkota has demanded that the government should take diplomatic initiatives to keep the vehicles and goods of Nepali businessmen in there safe. Sapkota said that a large number of workers and their families have been affected along with the transport business due to the floods.
Preliminary information has been received that around 73 people have been affected by the accident while reports have started coming in from Sindhupalchowk, Kavre, Sindhuli and other districts as well.
According to him, the biggest challenge now is to prepare the actual data of the damage and search for the missing persons.
‘We are in the throes of a big loss. Right now, it is not possible. I am looking for workers, businessmen and co-drivers. The insurance company also needs to get everything in detail. We need all the data about what happened and where,” he said.
He said that he is now focusing on collecting data by coordinating with various organizations and state agencies. He said that preparations are being made to provide the vehicle number, driver-assistant details, the condition of the insurance and the nature of the damage to the government and the insurance company.
Sapkota demanded that the State should coordinate directly with the entrepreneurs’ organisations during the time of disaster to carry out the process of rescue, identification of dead bodies, assessment of the damage and compensation.
The floods in Rasuwa have not only caused human loss but also had a big impact on the cross-border trade and transportation sector. Entrepreneurs say that the actual size of the damage is likely to be bigger in the coming days as the exact details of the missing vehicles and people are yet to come.
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