Devastating floods and landslides triggered by heavy rain have claimed the lives of at least 112 people in Nepal in the last 24 hours, as per official data.

In addition, over 100 people are injured, and rescue operations are on to locate 68 people who have gone missing due to the calamity in the Himalayan country, several parts of which have been inundated since Friday. 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.

On Saturday, Nepal logged record-breaking rainfall in its 54 years with 323 millimetres of rainfall recorded within 24 hours. More than 3,000 security personnel were deployed to assist rescue efforts with helicopters and motorboats even as 412,000 households are expected to be affected due to monsoon-related diasters, as per the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Authority (NDRRMA).

Rivers around the capital Kathmandu burst their banks, inundating nearby houses. Kathmandu’s main river, the Bagmati, has also been flowing above danger levels following heavy rain.

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.

"I've never before seen flooding on this scale in Kathmandu," said Arun Bhakta Shrestha, Climate and Environmental expert at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).

Source: Online 

BDST: 1142 HRS, SEPT 29, 2024
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