At least 66 dead and dozens missing in Nepal floods
At least 66 people have lost their lives, and 69 others are reported missing, according to officials, following severe rainfall in Nepal that triggered flooding and landslides.
The death toll in the South Asian country is expected to rise as heavy rains, primarily affecting the area surrounding the capital, Kathmandu, are forecasted to continue until Tuesday.
Thousands of homes near rivers have been inundated, and many highways remain impassable. Footage has emerged showing individuals stranded on rooftops.
The intense rainfall, exceeding 200mm (7.9 inches) since Friday evening, has overwhelmed nearly all rivers in the Kathmandu valley, where most of the fatalities have occurred.
Landslides have also contributed to the death toll.
In Bhaktapur, east of Kathmandu, five individuals, including a pregnant woman and a four-year-old girl, lost their lives when a house collapsed due to a landslide, as reported by state media.
In Dhading, west of Kathmandu, two bodies were recovered from a bus that was buried in a landslide; it was reported that twelve people, including the driver, were on board.
Six football players were also killed by a landslide at a training centre operated by the All Nepal Football Association in Makwanpur, to the south-west of the capital.
Others have been swept up in floodwaters.
In one dramatic scene, four people desperate to be rescued were washed away by the Nakkhu River in the southern Kathmandu valley.
“For hours, they kept on pleading for help,” Jitendra Bhandari, an eyewitness, told the BBC. “We could do nothing.”
Three of those people were rescued downstream, but one is still missing.
Hari Om Malla lost his truck after it was submerged by water in Kathmandu.
He told the BBC that water had “gushed” into the cabin as the rain intensified on Friday night.
“We jumped out, swam, and got away from it – but my purse, bag and mobile have been swept away by the river. I have nothing now. We stayed the whole night in the cold.”
So far, more than 2,000 people have been rescued from floodwaters, while at least 200 houses have been damaged, according to the state-run Radio Nepal.
The Nepalese home affairs ministry said that as of Saturday, 60 people had been injured.
Private houses, offices, shopping centres, hospitals and police posts were seen inundated in videos posted in social media.
Government spokesperson Prithvi Subba Gurung told the state-run Nepal Television Corporation that the flooding had also broken waterpipes, and affected telephone and power lines.
According to state media, 10,000 police officers, as well as volunteers and members of the army, have been mobilised as part of search and rescue efforts.
The Nepalese government urged people to avoid unnecessary travel, and banned road travel at night in the Kathmandu valley to minimise road accidents.
Most highways – including the ones connecting Kathmandu valley with the rest of the country – have been blocked in several places.
Air travel was also affected on Friday and Saturday, with many domestic flights delayed or cancelled.
Monsoon season brings tragic floods and landslides every year in Nepal.
Scientists say, though, that rainfall events are becoming more intense due to climate change.
A warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, while warmer ocean waters can energise storm systems, making them more erratic.
