The death toll from rain-triggered floods and landslides in Nepal has risen to 148, according to police reports on Sunday. Since Friday, large areas of eastern and central Nepal have been severely affected, with flash floods reported in several regions.
Within the Kathmandu Valley alone, 43 fatalities have been recorded due to various disaster-related incidents. The Armed Police Force indicated that 55 individuals are currently missing as a result of the floods and landslides, with an additional 101 people reported injured.
National highways have been blocked since Saturday, leaving hundreds stranded due to landslides. In response, over 20,000 security personnel have been deployed for rescue operations, successfully relocating nearly 3,626 individuals to safety. Ongoing rescue efforts are still in progress.
Home Ministry spokesperson Rishiram Tiwari stated that all available resources are being utilized to clear the damaged road sections of highways. Eyewitnesses have reported that this flooding event is unprecedented, with many claiming it is the worst they have seen in the Kathmandu Valley in the past 40 to 45 years.
The Armed Police Force confirmed that the death toll has reached 125. Notably, 19 individuals lost their lives on Saturday when a bus was buried under a landslide in Dhading district, which borders Kathmandu. Additionally, five people perished when a house collapsed due to a landslide in Bhaktapur, while six football players were killed at a training center operated by the All Nepal Football Association in Makwanpur.
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While rain is expected to continue until Tuesday, there were signs of easing conditions on Sunday. Arun Bhakta Shrestha, a climate and environmental expert at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), noted that he had never witnessed flooding of this magnitude in Kathmandu.
The Bagmati River, the main river in Kathmandu, has been flowing above danger levels after intense rainfall affected much of eastern and central Nepal on Friday and Saturday. The unusually heavy rain was attributed to a low-pressure system in the Bay of Bengal and the northward position of the monsoon trough.
Experts indicate that climate change is altering rainfall patterns across Asia, and a significant factor in the increased impact of floods is unplanned urban construction, particularly on floodplains. This development leaves inadequate space for water retention and drainage.
The floods and landslides have disrupted daily life throughout the country, burying many highways and roads, destroying hundreds of homes and bridges, and displacing numerous families. Thousands of passengers remain stranded due to the road disruptions.
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