51 killed as heavy rain triggers landslides, floods in Nepal

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

As many as 37 people were killed in Ilam district of the Koshi province due to landslides triggered by heavy rainfall in the past two days, said Kalidas Dhaubaji, spokesperson for the APF.

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