The death toll in Nepal rains and landslides mounted to 112 on Sunday, with large swathes of eastern and central Nepal inundated since Friday due to flash floods.
At least 64 people are still reported missing in the floods, landslides and inundation, while 100 people have been injured.
The highest number of deaths have been reported in Kathmandu Valley, where the death count is 48. Meanwhile, at least 195 houses and eight bridges were damaged. Security personnel have rescued nearly 3,100 people.
More than 3,000 security personnel have been deployed to assist rescue efforts with helicopters and motorboats even as 412,000 households have been affected.
It is being called the most devastating flood and inundation in Kathmandu Valley in 50 years, with 323 mm of rainfall recorded in 24 hours. Notably, Kathmandu’s main river Bagmati was flowing above danger levels after torrential rain lashed much of eastern and central Nepal on Friday and Saturday.
A low-pressure system in the Bay of Bengal and the more northerly than usual position of the monsoon trough was the reason behind Saturday’s exceptionally intense rain, the weather department said.
Many highways and road stretches have got disrupted, hundreds of houses and bridges buried or swept away, and hundreds of families displaced in the catastrophe. Thousands of passengers have been stranded in various places due to road disruption.
A police official claimed that 200 incidents of floods and landslides have been reported, but the number is likely to increase.
Rain-related calamities are common in South Asia during the monsoon season. However, experts claim that the severity and the frequency of these disasters is increasing due to climate change.
Visuals surfaced, showing people standing on top of buildings or wading through murky waters to get to safety. Videos also showed rescue teams using rafts to pull survivors to safety.
Another video showed a building collapsing amid a heavy flow of water. Several highways have also become inaccessible due to floods, which has affected travellers and those trying to move towards safer and unaffected areas.
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