- Nepal floods and landslides kill more than 150, at least 56 people still missing
- Floods caused significant damage, schools closed for days
- Rescue efforts hampered by mudslides after days of heavy rainfall
Nepal floods and landslides kill more than 150, death toll expected to rise
Nepal has suspended school operations for three days following devastating floods and landslides that resulted from two days of heavy rainfall. As of Sunday, officials reported at least 151 fatalities, with 56 individuals still unaccounted for.
The floods have paralyzed daily life in the Kathmandu valley, where 37 of the deaths occurred in a densely populated area housing 4 million residents. Authorities have noted significant damage to schools and university buildings, complicating efforts to resume normal activities for students and their families.
In some parts of Kathmandu, rainfall reached an alarming 322.2 mm (12.7 inches), causing the Bagmati River to rise 2.2 meters (7 feet) above the danger level. Fortunately, weather forecaster Govinda Jha reported some relief on Sunday morning, with rainfall beginning to ease across many regions.
‘Rescue efforts hampered by mudslides’
Rescue efforts have been hampered by the mudslides, with police and rescue teams seen clearing debris to recover 16 bodies from two buses that were swept away in a major landslide on a key route into Kathmandu.
Meteorologists attribute the severe rainstorms to a low-pressure system in the Bay of Bengal that is affecting parts of neighbouring India as well.
ICIMOD has urged the government and city planners to urgently invest in improved infrastructure, including both engineered and nature-based stormwater and sewage systems. They noted that inadequate drainage, unplanned urbanisation, construction on floodplains, and encroachment along the Bagmati River have exacerbated the flooding.
