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Rescue efforts were underway and an army helicopter was able to
lift people stranded by the flooding. Police said 95 rescuers
were already at the area and more are expected to join in rescue
efforts.
The flooding on the Bhotekoshi River destroyed the Friendship
Bridge at Rasuwagadi, which is 120 kilometers (75 miles) north
of the capital, Kathmandu. Several houses and trucks that were
parked at the border for customs inspections also were swept
away. Hundreds of electric vehicles imported from China had been
parked at the border point.
The 18 missing are 12 Nepali citizens and six Chinese nationals,
according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Authority.
The Chinese along with eight Nepalis were workers at a
Chinese-assisted construction project on the Nepali side of the
border, according to the Chinese Embassy in Nepal, quoted by
state media.
The destruction of the bridge has halted all trade from China to
Nepal through this route. The longer alternative is for goods to
be shipped from China to India and then brought overland to
Nepal.
Monsoon rains that begin in June and end in September often
cause severe flooding in Nepal, disrupting infrastructure and
endangering lives.
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