Key points
- Ilam landslides kill 18 near India
- Koshi River flows above danger level
- Highways blocked, domestic flights disrupted
KATHMANDU: Torrential rains have caused landslides and flash floods across Nepal, leaving at least 22 people dead over the past 36 hours, officials confirmed on Sunday.
According to police spokesperson Binod Ghimire, eighteen people lost their lives in separate landslides in Ilam district, located in eastern Nepal near the Indian border. Additionally, three individuals were killed by lightning strikes in the south, while one fatality was reported due to flooding in the Udayapur district, also in the east, reports Reuters.
Authorities said 11 people have been swept away by floodwaters since Saturday and remain missing.
“Rescue efforts for them are going on,” said Shanti Mahat, spokesperson for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA).
Landslides
Landslides and floodwaters have blocked or destroyed several major highways, stranding hundreds of travellers, officials said.
“Domestic flights are largely disrupted, but international flights are operating normally,” said Rinji Sherpa, a spokesperson for Kathmandu airport.
In southeastern Nepal, the Koshi River – which frequently causes deadly flooding in India’s Bihar state – was reported to be flowing above danger levels. Dharmendra Kumar Mishra, district governor of Sunsari, stated that the water flow had surged to more than twice the usual volume.
Mishra added that all 56 sluice gates of the Koshi Barrage had been opened to release excess water, compared to the typical 10 to 12 gates during normal conditions. He said authorities are “preparing to ban heavy vehicles from its bridge”.
Severing road links
In Kathmandu, the capital city surrounded by hills, multiple rivers have overflowed, flooding roads and homes, effectively severing road links with the rest of the country.
Landslides and flash floods are a recurring hazard in mountainous Nepal during the monsoon season, which typically spans mid-June to mid-September, claiming hundreds of lives annually.
Weather officials have forecast more rainfall until Monday. Authorities said they are taking “maximum care and precautions” to assist those affected by the natural disaster.
