Flooding and landslides in Nepal kill more than 140 as heavy rainfall hits nation
In short:
Heavy rainfall has triggered widespread floods and landslides in Nepal, with 148 people reported dead and more than 3,000 rescued.
The capital, Kathmandu, took the brunt, becoming isolated from the rest of the country after its key connecting highways were blocked off and most of the city was inundated.
What's next?
Nepal's government has mobilised thousands of security officers to aid with rescue efforts. The weather conditions are expected to persist for the coming few days.
Residents of Nepal's flood-hit capital returned to their mud-caked homes on Sunday to survey the wreckage of devastating floods that have killed at least 148 people across the Himalayan republic.
Deadly rain-related floods and landslides are common across South Asia during the monsoon season from June to September, but experts say climate change is increasing their frequency and severity.
Entire neighbourhoods in Kathmandu were inundated over the weekend with flash floods reported in rivers coursing through the capital and extensive damage to highways connecting the city with the rest of Nepal.
Kumar Tamang, who lives in a slum area by a riverbank, said he and his family had to flee after midnight on Saturday as waters rushed into his shack.
"This morning we returned and everything looks different," the 40-year-old said.
"We couldn't even open the doors to our house, it was jammed with mud," he added.
"Yesterday we were afraid that the water would kill us, but today we have no water to clean."
Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said 148 people had been killed across the country with another 59 still missing.
Home Ministry spokesman Rishi Ram Tiwari said bulldozers were being used to clear several highways that had been blocked by debris, cutting Kathmandu off from the rest of the country.
"More than 3,000 people have been rescued," he added.
At least 14 of those killed were aboard two buses and were buried alive when earth from a landslide careened into a highway south of Kathmandu, Dhading district chief Rajendra Dev Pandey said.
An aerial image of the Kathmandu valley during floods triggered by heavy rain.
Nepal's home ministry said all divisions of security forces in the country, including the army, had been mobilised to help with rescue efforts.
Security forces ordered to high alert
Several critical roads were blocked by landslides triggered by the rainfall, including the key Prithvi highway that connects Kathmandu to the rest of the country .
A woman cries after she lost her home in the deluge.
Buses were banned from travelling at night on highways and cars were discouraged.
Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak told reporters that officials were still collecting information about the effects of the flooding.
"The government's priority right now is to rescue the people and help those who have been affected," he said.
Parts of Kathmandu were inundated by swollen rivers with many houses flooded and residents forced to move to top floors.
The turbulent waters of Bagmati River seen from a bridge as the river flooded due to heavy rains in Kathmandu on Saturday.
A huge area on the southern side of the city was mostly flooded, with army helicopters used to pick up people who were unable to leave their houses.
Domestic flights resumed in and out of Kathmandu by Sunday morning after weather forced a complete stoppage from Friday evening, with more than 150 departures cancelled.
The summer monsoon brings South Asia 70 to 80 per cent of its annual rainfall.
Monsoon rains from June to September bring widespread death and destruction every year across South Asia, but the number of fatal floods and landslides has increased in recent years.
AFP/AP
By：https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-29/flooding-and-landslides-in-nepal-kill-over-140/104410096(责任编辑：admin)
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