Rasuwa Floods Damage Nine Commercial Bank Branches, Staff Remain Unreachable

At least nine branches of commercial banks operating in the flood-affected areas of Rasuwa have been directly impacted by the devastating floods in the Bhotekoshi River.

According to Santosh Koirala, president of the Nepal Bankers’ Association, most of the affected bank branches have either been swept away or suffered extensive damage to their buildings and physical infrastructure.

“There were nine bank branches in the flood-affected area, and we estimate that all of them have been damaged. However, communication with the area has been disrupted, making it difficult to collect details of the extent of the damage,” Koirala told Nepal Press.

Koirala said more than half of the employees working at the affected branches have yet to establish contact with their respective banks.

Some employees have managed to make contact and reported that they are safe, but their offices have been swept away or destroyed, he said.

Branches of Nabil Bank, Prabhu Bank, and Global IME Bank, among others, were operating in the affected areas.

The Bankers’ Association is attempting to assess the exact extent of damage to the affected branches while coordinating with security agencies to intensify efforts to locate and rescue bank employees.

The Bhotekoshi flood that struck Rasuwa on Wednesday morning swept away settlements in the Timure area, also affecting branches of several banks and financial institutions.

Banks including Machhapuchchhre Bank, Sanima Bank, Nabil Bank, Laxmi Sunrise Bank, Himalayan Bank, NMB Bank, Global IME Bank, and Nepal Investment Mega Bank had branches in Timure. With settlements swept away and communication services disrupted, banks have been unable to contact employees working at the affected branches.

The Nepal Bankers’ Association held an emergency meeting on Wednesday morning to assess the situation and coordinate the response.

According to Koirala, the association has already requested the Nepal Army, Nepal Police and other relevant agencies to assist in search and rescue operations.

“At present, we have not been able to contact any of the employees. Telephone services have been disrupted, making it extremely difficult to collect details of the damage,” Koirala said.

The association is continuing efforts to establish communication with affected employees and obtain further information on the damage to bank branches and infrastructure.