18 killed in landslides triggered by incessant rain in Nepal

At least 18 people have been killed in landslides triggered by incessant rainfall in different parts of eastern Nepal’s Koshi province since Saturday night.

While six people died in Ghosang and five in Mansebung, seven others were killed in other areas of Ilam district, police said.

The Nepal Army, which has been deployed for rescue operations, evacuated two injured people, including a pregnant woman, from the incident site with the help of a helicopter, an official said on Sunday. They have been sent to Dharan Municipality for treatment.

Rescue operations have been affected by the inclement weather.

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

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

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority issued a notice saying restrictions have been put on vehicles entering and exiting Kathmandu valley from Saturday to Monday.

The authorities also asked people not to operate long route vehicles for the next three days unless in an emergency.

A red alert was 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.

Meanwhile, 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.