Torrential rains over the past 36 hours have unleashed landslides and flash floods across Nepal, killing at least 22 people, washing away bridges, blocking highways, and leaving dozens missing, officials said Sunday.
Eighteen people were killed in a series of landslides in eastern Nepal’s Ilam district, which borders India, police spokesperson Binod Ghimire said. Three others were struck and killed by lightning in the country’s southern plains, and another person died in floods in Udayapur district, also in the east.
At least 11 people were swept away by floodwaters and remain missing since Saturday, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA). “Rescue efforts for them are going on,” NDRRMA spokesperson Shanti Mahat told Reuters.
The severe weather has paralyzed transportation networks across the mountainous nation. Several major highways have been blocked by landslides or washed out by floods, stranding hundreds of passengers in remote areas. Domestic flights have been largely suspended, though international flights at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport continue to operate, airport spokesperson Rinji Sherpa said.
In southeastern Nepal, water levels in the Koshi River — one of the largest rivers in South Asia — rose sharply above the danger mark. The river regularly causes deadly floods in the neighboring Indian state of Bihar. Dharmendra Kumar Mishra, the district governor of Sunsari, said water flows were more than double the usual volume, prompting authorities to open all 56 sluice gates of the Koshi Barrage to release excess water. Normally, only 10 to 12 gates are opened during regular flow conditions. Authorities are preparing to ban heavy vehicles from crossing the barrage bridge as a precaution.
In the capital, Kathmandu, which sits in a ring of hills, swollen rivers flooded roads and inundated houses, cutting off the city from the rest of the country by road.
Landslides and flash floods are common in Nepal during the monsoon season, which typically begins in mid-June and lasts until mid-September. Hundreds of people die each year during the seasonal rains, which are intensified by the country’s rugged terrain and often inadequate infrastructure.
Weather officials forecast continued heavy rainfall through Monday. Authorities said they are taking “maximum care and precautions” to assist affected communities and mitigate further damage.
