More than 125 people were killed in rain-induced floods and landslides in Nepal
The death toll from rain-induced floods and landslides in Nepal rose to 125 on Sunday, police said.
Large parts of eastern and central Nepal have been flooded since Friday, and flash floods have been reported in parts of the country.
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According to armed police sources, 64 people are missing in floods, landslides and floods, while 61 people have been injured.
The Kathmandu Valley reported the highest number of deaths.
At least 322 houses and 16 bridges were damaged. Security personnel rescued nearly 3,626 people, armed police sources said.
The sources added that rescue operations were still ongoing.
Eyewitnesses said they had never seen such a devastating flood and flooding in the Kathmandu Valley in 40 to 45 years.
The death toll has reached 125, armed police said in a statement.
At least 19 people were killed on Saturday when a bus was buried in a landslide in Dhading district, bordering Kathmandu. Five people were killed when a house collapsed due to a landslide in the city of Bhaktapur.
Six footballers were also killed in a landslide at an All Nepal Football Association training center in Makwanpur. Others have been swept away by the floodwaters.
Despite forecasts for rain to continue until Tuesday, there were signs of some easing on Sunday.
I have never seen flooding on this scale in Kathmandu before, says Arun Bhakta Shrestha, climate and environmental expert at the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).
Kathmandu’s main river, the Bagmati, was flowing above danger levels after incessant rain lashed much of eastern and central Nepal on Friday and Saturday, according to a report published by ICIMOD.
A low-pressure system in the Bay of Bengal and the more northerly than usual position of the monsoon trough were the reason behind Saturday’s exceptionally intense rain, the report said.
Scientists say that while climate change is changing the amount and timing of rainfall in Asia, a major reason for the increase in the impact of floods is the built environment, including unplanned development, especially on floodplains, which leaves insufficient areas for retention and drainage of water. .
The floods and landslides have disrupted life in many parts of the country, disrupting many highways and roads, burying or sweeping away hundreds of homes and bridges, and displacing hundreds of families.
Thousands of passengers have been stranded in various places due to traffic disruption.
(Only the headline and image of this report may have been reworked by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)
First publication: September 29, 2024 | 4:42 pm IST