Nepal: Heavy rains trigger landslides, at least 11 dead, 8 missing

In Nepal, located in the Himalayas, heavy rains have triggered landslides and explosive floods, killing at least 11 people in the past 36 hours.

Heavy rains in recent days have caused flash floods and landslides, killing dozens and blocking major highways and roads.

Officials said that in addition to the 11 confirmed dead, eight people were missing, washed away by floodwaters or buried in landslides.

Police spokesman Dan Bahadur Karki said at least 12 people were injured and were receiving treatment at hospital.

“Rescue workers are trying to clear the landslide and open the road,” Karki told Reuters, adding that heavy equipment was being used to clear the debris.

According to authorities, Nepal has recorded a total of 55 flood incidents so far in less than a month.

At least 50 people have been killed across Nepal by landslides, floods and lightning strikes since the annual monsoon rains began in mid-June.

Pictures and videos from Kathmandu and other areas showed people wading through waist-deep water and residents using buckets to empty their homes.

Neighboring India is also experiencing heavy rains across the country. July’s torrential rains ended a scorching heatwave in northern India, but Delhi’s streets were flooded earlier and the roof of an international airport parking lot collapsed, killing one person.

Heavy rains also caused flooding in the country’s northeastern hilly region, which was previously hit by Cyclone Remal in May.

Nepal’s Kosi river, which causes deadly floods every year in India’s eastern state of Bihar, is flowing above danger levels due to persistent rains, raising the risk of further flooding, local officials said.

“The flow of the Kosi is increasing and we have asked residents to remain alert for possible flooding,” said Bed Raj Phuyal, a senior official in Sunsari district where the river flows. Reuters.

He said that at 9am (3.15am GMT) the flow of water in the Gossi River was more than double its normal level.

Authorities said all 56 sluice gates of the Gosi Dam, which are usually only open to 10 to 12, were opened to drain water.

Other rivers in the west, including the Narayani, Lapti and Mahakali, have also seen their water levels rise.

In hill-surrounded Kathmandu, several rivers overflowed, flooding roads and submerging many homes.

In Nepal, a mostly mountainous region, hundreds of people die each year from landslides and explosive floods that occur during the monsoon season, which usually begins in mid-June and lasts until mid-September.

In the northeastern Indian state of Assam, floods have killed dozens of people and displaced thousands in the past few days.

Additional reporting from Reuters.