Flooding in Nepal Claims 192 Lives

Heavy rains in Nepal have led to widespread flooding and landslides, resulting in 192 deaths and extensive destruction.

On Monday, September 30, search and rescue teams in the capital sifted through damaged homes as the waters from monsoon floods receded.

Photos show large areas of southern Kathmandu and nearby cities submerged or covered in thick mud due to relentless rainfall that caused major rivers to overflow dangerously.

The flooding and landslides have devastated hundreds of homes, severed highways, and downed power lines, following record rainfall and flash flooding earlier this year that scientists attribute to the climate crisis.

“Our focus is on search and rescue, including people who have been stranded on highways,” Home Ministry spokesman Rishi Ram Tiwari said.

“192 people have been reported dead, and another 31 are missing,” he added.

According to Nepal Police spokesman Dan Bahadur Karki, at least 35 victims were buried alive when a landslide struck vehicles on a highway south of Kathmandu.

Rescuers in knee-high rubber boots were shoveling mud from the hardest-hit riverside neighborhoods around Kathmandu.

Nepal’s army reported that over 4,000 people have been rescued using helicopters, motorboats, and rafts to reach stranded households.

Bulldozers are clearing nearly two dozen blocked sections of major highways leading into Kathmandu.

Experts indicate that climate change has increased both the frequency and intensity of monsoon rains.

This year, over 300 people in Nepal have lost their lives due to rain-related disasters.