Flooding and landslides in Nepal kill at least 100
29 September 2024, 06:24
Police said the death toll is expected to rise with dozens of people still missing.
The death toll from flooding and landslides in Nepal has reached at least 100 people, with dozens still missing.
Police said the death toll hit 100 on Sunday morning, adding it was expected to rise as reports come in from villages across the mountainous country.
The weather in Nepal improved on Sunday, allowing rescue, recovery and clean-up efforts to continue.
Rescuers recovered 14 bodies overnight from two buses headed to Kathmandu that were buried in a landslide by a highway near the capital city.
At least one other bus and other vehicles were still buried at the same spot with rescue workers digging through rocks and mud trying to find people.
At least 34 people were killed in Kathmandu, which was the hardest hit by Saturday’s flooding.
The capital remained cut off Sunday with three highways, including the key Prithvi highway that connects Kathmandu to the rest of the country, blocked by landslides.
People living in the southern part of Kathmandu, which was inundated by water, were cleaning up their houses as water levels began to recede.
Police officers and soldiers were assisting with rescue efforts, while heavy equipment was used to clear the landslides from the roads.
The government announced it was closing schools and colleges across Nepal for the next three days.
The heavy rains, which started on Friday, slowed on Saturday night but were expected to continue through the weekend.
Last week the government issued flood warnings across the Himalayan nation warning of massive rainfall. Buses were banned from traveling at night on highways and people were discouraged from driving cars.
The monsoon season began in June and usually ends by mid-September.
