The devastating impact of rain-triggered floods and landslides across Nepal continues to unfold, with the death toll tragically reaching 170 and 42 others still missing as of Sunday. Widespread inundation and flash floods have ravaged large swathes of eastern and central Nepal since Friday, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.
According to police reports, 170 people have lost their lives due to the combined forces of floods and landslides. The Home Ministry has confirmed that 42 individuals remain unaccounted for amidst the disaster. The Ministry of Home Affairs spokesperson, Rishiram Pokharel, revealed that 111 people have sustained injuries in flood-related incidents.
In response to the crisis, a full-scale search and rescue operation is underway, mobilizing all available security agencies. The Nepal Army has deployed helicopters to airlift 162 individuals from affected areas across the country.
The combined efforts of the Nepal Army, Nepal Police, and Armed Police Force have successfully rescued over 4,000 people impacted by the flood and inundation. Essential relief materials, including food grains, have been distributed to those rescued, with social workers providing meals to 400 individuals in the Balkhu area on the outskirts of Kathmandu.
The catastrophic events have severely disrupted transportation networks, with national highways blocked since Saturday, leaving hundreds of people stranded due to landslides. Efforts are underway to clear obstructed roads and restore essential transportation routes. Transport has resumed on the Tribhuvan Highway, the vital link connecting Kathmandu to other districts.
The flood’s destructive force has damaged at least 322 houses and 16 bridges across Nepal. Eyewitnesses recount scenes of devastation never witnessed before, with the Kathmandu Valley experiencing unprecedented levels of flooding in the past 40-45 years. Arun Bhakta Shrestha, a Climate and Environmental expert at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), described the situation as an unparalleled flood in Kathmandu’s history.
The ICIMOD report attributed the heavy rainfall to a low-pressure system in the Bay of Bengal and an unusual northward shift in the monsoon trough. Scientists highlight the crucial role of climate change in altering rainfall patterns across Asia, but they emphasize that the impact of floods is exacerbated by unplanned construction, particularly on floodplains, which restricts natural water retention and drainage.
The floods and landslides have thrown life into disarray across Nepal, with numerous highways and road stretches disrupted, hundreds of houses and bridges destroyed, and hundreds of families displaced. Thousands of passengers remain stranded due to road disruptions.
The tragedy claimed 19 lives on Saturday when a bus was buried in a landslide in Dhading district, bordering Kathmandu. Five people perished when a house collapsed under a landslide in Bhaktapur. Sadly, six football players lost their lives in a landslide at a training center operated by the All Nepal Football Association in Makwanpur. Others have been swept away by the relentless floodwaters.
While the forecast predicts continued rainfall until Tuesday, there were signs of some easing on Sunday, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the devastation.
