Days of intense monsoon rains in Nepal have led to widespread flooding and landslides throughout the country, resulting in nearly 200 deaths and extensive damage.
The floods and landslides have destroyed hundreds of homes, severed major highways, and knocked out power lines. This disaster comes just months after the country experienced record rainfall and flash floods, which scientists link to the escalating climate crisis.
Rescue teams have faced challenges reaching residents who are buried under debris or trapped by floods in remote regions.
In Lalitpur, south of Kathmandu, images showed Nepal’s Armed Police Force using zip lines to cross a flooded river, while other rescue teams were seen digging through mud and rubble with their hands or using boats and helicopters to save people stranded on rooftops.
As of Monday, at least 192 people had been killed, 96 injured, and many more remain missing, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs. More than 3,700 people have been rescued, but authorities expect the death toll to rise as teams reach more isolated areas.
The central and eastern regions of the country have been particularly hard-hit by flooding and landslides.Sixteen bodies were recovered on Sunday from two buses that were swept away by a large landslide while traveling along a main road out of Kathmandu. One bus was found partially buried in mud with its windshield shattered.
Footage released by Nepal Police showed the rescue of a two-year-old boy from a collapsed home in the Bhimeshwor area, where a landslide had killed his parents and sibling.Parts of the capital saw rainfall up to 322.2 millimeters (12.7 inches), causing the Bagmati River to rise 2.2 meters (7 feet) above its danger level.
Further west, in Pokhara, a popular tourist city, an international student described flooding in the streets. Travel back to Kathmandu was delayed due to landslides blocking roads, the student told reporters.
On Sunday, the rains eased in several areas, allowing cleanup efforts to begin. However, Kathmandu remains isolated as landslides have blocked all three highways into the city. Schools have been closed for three days in response.While monsoon rains are an annual occurrence in Nepal, experts say this year’s conditions have been particularly severe.
“I’ve never seen flooding on this scale in Kathmandu before,” said Arun Bhakta Shrestha, an environmental risk expert from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). The organization highlighted how unregulated development, including construction on floodplains and inadequate drainage systems, has worsened the impact of the heavy rains.
Experts have urged the government and city planners to invest more in stormwater management systems and restore wetlands to help urban areas manage excess water.
South Asia, home to a quarter of the world’s population, is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including more frequent and severe weather events. Studies predict the region will face even more extreme rainfall and flooding by 2030.
