51 killed in landslides and floods triggered by downpour in Nepal

At least 51 people have been killed in different places of eastern Nepal till Sunday morning in various incidents caused by landslides and floods triggered by downpour since Saturday night, an official of the Armed Police Force said.

As many as 37 people have been killed in different places of Ilam district in Koshi province due to landslides triggered by heavy rain in the past two days, said Kalidas Dhaubaji, spokesperson of the Armed Police Force (APF).

Of the 37, eight people each were killed in Deumai and Maijogmai municipalities, six each in Ilam municipality and Sandakpur rural municipality, five in Suryodaya municipality, three in Mangsebung and one in Fakfokthum village, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) said in a press release.

Two people died in Udayapur and one in Panchathar due to floods and landslides.

Separately, three people were killed in a lightning strike in Rautahat and two in Khotang district.

Meanwhile, six people died in an accident in Panchthar district due to the roads being damaged by the downpour.

At least four people went missing after they were swept away by the swollen river in Langtang Conservation Area of Rasuwa district, and one each went missing in the incidents of floods in Ilam, Bara and Kathmandu.

Also, four people out of 16, who were on a trekking expedition in the Langang area, have gone missing, Dhaubaji said.

Nepal Army, Nepal Police and APF personnel were involved in carrying out rescue operations.

The security personnel rescued four people, including a pregnant woman, from Ilam district in helicopters and admitted them to a hospital in Dharan municipality.

Monsoon was active in five of the seven provinces of Nepal, namely Koshi, Madhes, Bagmati, Gandaki and Lumbini.

Offering help to the neighbouring country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a social media post said, "India remains committed to providing any assistance.”

“The loss of lives and damage caused by heavy rains in Nepal is distressing. We stand with the people and Government of Nepal in this difficult time,” Modi wrote on X.

“As a friendly neighbour and first responder, India remains committed to providing any assistance that may be required,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Nepal government has allowed some vehicles to travel to and from Kathmandu in view of the improved weather conditions.

On Sunday, Kathmandu Valley received less rain as compared to that in the past two days and road blockages caused by landslides have been removed from some of the national highways.

“As per the decision of the Monsoon Counter Command Post, vehicles operating for emergency services and vehicles transporting goods as well as passenger vehicles and short distance vehicles halted in the middle of the national highways will be allowed to move towards their destinations keeping in view the conditions of the roads in coordination with the local authorities,” read a statement issued by the NDRRMA.

However, until further notice movement of vehicles has been restricted at night in case of risky roads and highways, it added.

On Saturday, Nepalese authorities restricted the entry and exit of vehicles from Kathmandu due to incessant rain and the possibility of landslides for the next three days.

A red alert was also issued for areas around the Bagmati and East Rapti rivers.

Continuous downpour was reported in Kathmandu and other parts of the country since Friday night, as the monsoon has become active, the authorities said.

Also on Saturday, domestic flights from Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) have been halted due to bad weather.

Hansa Raj Pande, general manager at TIA, Kathmandu, said that domestic flights from Kathmandu, Bharatpur, Janakpur, Bhadrapur, Pokhara and Tumlingtar have been halted until further notice.