At least 47 killed in Nepal as heavy rains trigger landslides, flash floods

At least 47 people have died in Nepal as a result of landslides and flash floods caused by heavy rains, blocking roads and eradicating bridges.

According to Kalidas Dhauboji, a spokesperson for the Armed Police Force, 35 people were killed in two separate landslides in the Ilam district of east-bordering India on Sunday.

He added that as severe downpours quashed the Himalayan nation’s eastern and central regions, nine people had been missing as a result of the floods that had been washed away since Friday and three others had died as a result of lightning strikes elsewhere in Nepal.

According to Shanti Mahat, a spokesperson for the Nepalese National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, “Rescue efforts are being made for the missing persons.”

In response to the government’s struggle with the crisis, the Ministry of Home Affairs has designated Monday and Tuesday as national holidays. This exempts emergency services and disaster response teams.

Rameshwar Dangal, a spokesperson for the government, cited forecasts for heavy rains as justification for the unusual measure.

More than a dozen districts have been placed on red alert as a result of the meteorological authorities’ report, according to The Kathmandu Post newspaper.

Major population centers are covered by the alert, which includes parts of Kathmandu’s capital, with the provinces of Bagmati, Gandaki, Lumbini, and Madhesh provinces expected to experience the most rain through Monday morning.

All major routes into Kathmandu have been severely damaged by landslides that have caused extensive damage to the transport infrastructure.

The BP Highway linking the eastern regions is buried under debris, while the Araniko Highway, which connects Kathmandu to China’s border, is blocked after several road collapses.

Despite having some delays, the aviation authorities continued to suspend domestic flights on Saturday despite poor visibility.

International flights are operating normally, according to Rinji Sherpa, a spokesperson for the airport in Kathmandu, “but domestic flights are largely disrupted.”

As thousands of people return from their homes following Nepal’s Dashain celebrations, the country’s most significant religious holiday, the crisis has been compounded by its timing. People visited their families in their native villages on Thursday, which marked the two-week festival’s main day.

In southeast Nepal, where water levels have increased more than twice their normal volume, is of particular concern.

Authorities are considering preventing heavy vehicles from crossing the Koshi Barrage, but local official Dharmendra Kumar Mishra confirmed that all 56 sluice gates have been opened, compared to the standard 10 to 12.

In India’s Bihar state, the river frequently causes devastating flooding during the monsoons.

At least seven people were killed in the eastern Indian hill region of Darjeeling in West Bengal state as a result of landslides caused by heavy rain, according to local media reports.

“Seven dead bodies have already been found among the wreckage,” the statement read. More people are known, according to our knowledge. According to the Reuters news agency, work is also being done to retrieve their bodies, according to Darjeeling district police official Abhishek Roy on Sunday.