Persistent rainfall in Nepal has caused flash flooding and landslides, leading to the death of at least 14 people, authorities said on Sunday. Police said that casualties were scattered across various locations and at least nine people were missing due to destruction caused by rain.
"Police are working with other agencies and locals to find the missing people," said Dan Bahadur Karki, a police spokesman, to news agency AFP.
At least 62 people have been killed and 90 others sustained injuries in rain-related incidents across Nepal over the past four weeks since the onset of the monsoon season. The primary causes of these deaths are landslides, floods, and lightning strikes, triggered by incessant rain over the past few weeks, news agency PTI reported quoting the country's home ministry officials.
Of the fatalities, 34 people were reportedly killed by landslides, while 28 succumbed to floods resulting from incessant rains. Additionally, seven individuals are reported missing in connection with these natural calamities, the officials said.
The Nepal Floods
The heavy rains and subsequent floods and landslides have caused significant property damage as well. At least 121 houses have been inundated, and 82 others have been damaged. The natural disasters have displaced a total of 1,058 households across the country.
Monsoon rains from June to September bring widespread death and destruction every year across South Asia, but the number of fatal floods and landslides has increased in recent years. Parts of Nepal have been receiving heavy rainfall since July 4, prompting disaster authorities in the Himalayan nation to warn of flash floods in multiple rivers.
The Koshi River, which causes floods in Bihar almost every year, was flowing above the danger level. "Due to the rising river residents around the area were asked to remain alert about possible floods," Bed Raj Phuyal, a senior official of Sunsari district told news agency Reuters.
Phuyal said that at 9 AM water flow in Koshi River was 369,000 cusecs per second, more than double its normal flow of 150,000 cusecs. (Cusec is used to measure the flow of water, one cusec is equal to a cubic foot per second.)
All 56 gates of the Koshi Barrage were opened to drain out the water (usually, 10-12 gates are opened.) The flow of the Narayani, Rapti, and Mahakali rivers in the west was also rising, according to the report. Several rivers have overflown their banks, flooded roads, and inundated many houses in Kathmandu.
Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', has meanwhile, expressed his grief over the destruction caused by the floods and landslides. “I am deeply saddened by the loss of property in various parts of the country due to the floods and landslides that followed the incessant rains. All organs of the state have been directed to be active in the rescue and relief of the citizens affected by the disaster. Also, I sincerely appeal to all citizens to take necessary safety precautions," he said in a post on X.
Road Inundated With Water
The movement of vehicles has been disrupted on highways and road sections in several parts of the country after roads were blocked by floods and landslides following the incessant rainfall since Friday, according to The Kathmandu Post.
According to the Reuters report, people were seen wading through waist-deep water, they were also seen using buckets to remove water from inside their houses.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said floods and landslides have caused damage amounting to eight million and six hundred thousand rupees so far, reported ANI.