Nepal rain disasters kill 27 as landslides and floods hit 1,082 families

Heavy rain has triggered floods and landslides across Nepal, killing 27 people and displacing vulnerable families. The scale of damage and rescues underlines continuing monsoon risk even as river levels begin to fall.

In Short

• Since September 24, rain disasters in Nepal have killed 27 people
• Landslides caused 20 deaths, while floods claimed four lives nationwide
• More than 1,082 families were affected and 227 houses destroyed

At least 27 people have been killed in rain-induced disasters across Nepal since September 24, officials said on Tuesday. Four people are still missing and eight have been injured in incidents linked to heavy rainfall, including floods and landslides, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA).

The disasters have affected 1,082 families, killed 114 livestock, completely destroyed 227 houses and partially damaged 142 others. Floods and landslides have also damaged 31 bridges. The NDRRMA said 542 rain-induced disaster incidents were reported between September 24 and Sunday, while water levels in major rivers began falling gradually from September 28 and the overall situation started moving towards normalcy.

Of the 27 deaths, 20 were caused by landslides, four by floods and three by other incidents related to heavy rainfall, the authority said.

According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, more than 100 mm of rain was recorded at 186 rainfall measurement stations across the country over the four-day period through September 27. The highest rainfall was recorded at Dedhgaun in Nawalparasi (Bardaghat Susta East) at 544.2 mm, followed by 500.2 mm at Panchase in Kaski and 472 mm at Atraulitaar in Tanahun. Weather authorities said the heavy rainfall was linked to a low-pressure area near Uttar Pradesh in northern India and moisture-laden winds from the Bay of Bengal.

The NDRRMA said it sent flood-warning SMS alerts to more than 980,000 people through telecom service providers. NDRRMA spokesperson Shanti Mahat said around 2,000 people at risk from floods were moved to safer areas, while people trapped by floods and landslides in remote districts, including Jajarkot, Myagdi and Baglung, were rescued by helicopter. Security personnel from the Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and Nepali Army were deployed for search, rescue and relief operations.

Mahat said 78 people at risk in Pauddhar of Annapurna Rural Municipality-5 in Myagdi were rescued by helicopter and taken to safety on September 27. Four people stranded on an island in the Bheri River in Jajarkot were also airlifted.

Heavy rainfall triggered landslides in Chame, Manang, on the afternoon of September 27, and flood and landslide debris from Ghatte Khola partially blocked the Marsyangdi River, causing the two waterways to merge and form a lake, according to local media reports. Residents in Chame and nearby areas fled to forests, caves and other safer locations as the river rose. By Monday, the water level in the lake had fallen by about a metre and a bridge that had been submerged began to reappear, local media reports said.

The flooding also damaged roads and bridges along the Kaligandaki corridor. Kantipur reported landslides at several places and stretches of road being washed away by the swollen river. About 30 metres of road was cut at Dedhgaun, while more than 50 metres was damaged near Ridi and Rudrabeni. The NDRRMA issued alerts to officials in the affected districts and local bodies, asking them to maintain a high level of vigilance in downstream areas and move families in vulnerable locations to safer places.

The latest landslides and floods have come as Nepal is still recovering from last month's devastating flash floods originating near the Nepal-Tibet border. On August 26, the Bhotekoshi River carried floodwaters downstream, sweeping away homes, vehicles, roads and bridges and damaging hydropower projects, killing more than 1,450 people while around 5,000 remain missing.

With PTI Inputs

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