almost 200 dead from landslides and floods

According to local authorities, the disaster caused by days of intense monsoon rains has left more than 3,000 homes destroyed and at least 14 bridges damaged across the country. Several roads have been interrupted due to debris. The prime minister summoned all political forces.

Kathmandu () – The number of people who lost their lives in Nepal between yesterday and today due to landslides and floods in the valley surrounding the capital, Kathmandu, has risen to 200. The Interior Minister’s spokesperson also stated that another 194 people were injured and 30 remain missing.

About 4,500 people have been moved to safety, the spokesman continued, but dozens of homes have been destroyed. In Saptari district alone, 1,000 houses were submerged by water. But according to local authorities, the total figure would be almost 3,300 houses destroyed and at least 14 bridges damaged throughout the country.

In response to the emergency, Prime Minister Prakashman Singh yesterday summoned all political forces. In recent days, he had called on citizens to act in the name of unity and brotherhood and reiterated that all government mechanisms had been mobilized to deal with the consequences of the monsoon rains.

After three days of heavy rainfall, domestic flights resumed yesterday, despite the fact that meteorological services had predicted rain until tomorrow. More than 400 flights were canceled between Friday and Saturday and roads remain blocked in several places due to landslides. In Jyaplekhola, along the Prithvi Highway, at least 35 bodies were recovered from several vehicles, including a bus, that had been covered in debris. Jyaplekhola is the deadliest episode. Some cars are still blocked, police warned.

One person told the BBC that flooding has been particularly extreme this year. “Last time we had to escape, but nothing happened. This time all the houses were under water,” said Bishnu Maya Shretha. “When the water level rose, we had to get off the roof. We jumped from one roof to another and finally arrived at a concrete house.”