Death toll from flooding and landslides in Nepal rises above 120
29 September 2024, 12:34
Weather in the Kathmandu area has improved to allow rescue and clean-up efforts.
Rescuers in Nepal have recovered dozens of bodies from buses and other vehicles that were buried in landslides near the capital Kathmandu, as the death toll from flooding rose to at least 129 with many still missing.
The weather in Nepal improved on Sunday following three days of monsoon rains, allowing rescue and clean-up efforts to continue, but Kathmandu remained cut off as three roads out of the city were blocked by landslides.
Rescuers recovered 14 bodies overnight from two buses which were travelling to Kathmandu when a landslide buried them.
Another 23 bodies were dug out from vehicles on Sunday at the same spot, about 10 miles from Kathmandu, and workers searched for others who may have been buried.
A statement by the Nepal police said another 86 people were injured in the flooding and landslides while 62 are missing. The death toll is expected to rise further as reports come in from villages across the mountainous country.
Residents in the southern part of Kathmandu, which was inundated on Saturday, are now cleaning up houses as water levels begin to recede. At least 34 people were killed in Kathmandu, which was the hardest hit by flooding.
Police and soldiers are assisting with rescue efforts, while heavy equipment is being used to clear the landslides from the roads.
Schools and colleges have been closed across Nepal for the next three days.
