The number of deaths due to floods and landslides in Nepal.
At least 209 people have died across the country and at least 29 others are still missing, according to the country’s Interior Ministry. The marathon search for survivors continues today in districts of Kathmandu that have been engulfed by mountains of mud and rubble.
Overnight, from Friday to Saturday, Nepal’s capital and much of eastern and central Nepal suffered near floods, the heaviest rains in at least two decades, as the current monsoon season comes to an end in South Asia.
Entire districts of Kathmandu were hit by torrents of mud and debris of all kinds after the Bagmati River, which runs through the valley where the capital is located, suddenly burst its banks.
Rescues and evacuations of areas
The Interior Ministry said it was stepping up operations, especially air operations, to rescue the sick and others still at risk. More than 400 people were rescued yesterday in various areas.
The Nepalese army clarified that it has already hastily evacuated more than 4,000 people, many of them by helicopter, motorized boats and canoes.
35 people were buried alive
At least 35 of the victims were buried alive inside three vehicles when a landslide engulfed a stretch of road south of Kathmandu, police said.
Paralysis of the road network
Many roads connecting Kathmandu to the rest of the country are still closed because they have been covered by tons of mud. Construction machines were mobilized to pave roads. The shutdown of the road network caused the first vegetable shortages in the capital – their prices soared.
Record rainfall
According to preliminary data from the Nepal Hydrological and Meteorological Service, stations in 14 provinces recorded record rainfall in the 24 hours to Saturday morning. A station at Kathmandu airport recorded 240 millimeters of precipitation, the highest level since 2002, according to the same source.
The monsoons, which typically last from June to September, kill hundreds of people every year and cause widespread destruction in South Asia. However, the number of deadly floods and landslides has increased in recent years. Scientists have highlighted that climate change makes phenomena of this type more frequent and more intense.
