More than 100 people have lost their lives in Nepal due to landslides and floods caused by heavy rainfall, leading authorities to close down schools and colleges as a safety measure. The death toll reached 100 on Sunday morning, with expectations of it rising as reports come in from various villages across the mountainous nation.
The capital city of Kathmandu bore the brunt of the flooding, with at least 37 casualties reported in the area. Rescuers recovered an additional 14 bodies from two buses that were engulfed in a landslide while en route to the city. Kathmandu found itself isolated as three highways, including the vital Prithvi highway connecting the city to the rest of the country, were blocked by landslides.
In a heartbreaking development, six players from a football academy were among the 64 individuals missing after being caught in a landslide. The academy expressed that search operations are ongoing, with the remaining players relocated to a secure location.
Fortunately, as the weather improved on Sunday, rescue missions and clean-up activities were able to progress in Nepal. According to Govinda Jha, a weather forecaster in the capital, while isolated showers may occur, heavy rainfall is not expected.
The relentless rains since Friday inundated large areas in eastern and central Nepal, causing rivers to overflow. Subsequently, authorities announced the closure of educational institutions in the country for the next three days to accommodate difficulties faced by students and parents due to damaged infrastructure.
In some parts of Kathmandu, rainfall reached up to 322.2mm, pushing the level of the main Bagmati river 2.2m above the danger mark, the highest recorded since 1970. Police officers and soldiers lent their support to rescue operations while heavy machinery was employed to clear the roads obstructed by landslides.
Expressing astonishment at the scale of flooding, Arun Bhakta Shrestha, an environmental risk official at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), highlighted the urgent need for increased investment and planning in infrastructure by the government and city authorities. This includes the development of underground stormwater and sewage systems, both engineered and nature-based.
The monsoon season, commencing in June and typically concluding by mid-September, brought devastating consequences to Nepal this year with the recent calamitous rainfall leading to tragic loss of lives and extensive damage.