Floods in Nepal have begun to recede in many areas, but search and rescue operations continue as the death toll rises to at least 209.
Foreign news agencies reported that search and rescue teams continued their operation in Kathmandu, Nepal on Monday, September 30, 2024, to search for victims who were in the ruins of houses after floodwaters in many areas receded. So far, officials have found at least 209 dead bodies.
A longer-than-usual monsoon season in Nepal brought heavy rain over the weekend, triggering flash floods and landslides in several areas, particularly in the Kathmandu Valley, home to the capital and about 4 million people.
The heaviest rain in more than 20 years has temporarily cut off Kathmandu from the rest of the country as landslides hit highways and flooded communities.
Nepal’s Home Ministry spokesman Rishi Ra Tiwari said the death toll across the country has risen to at least 209, with 29 people still missing, as rescue teams launched airstrikes to help those who are sick or need to be evacuated to safety.
Thirty-five bodies were found buried in several vehicles after multiple landslides hit the Paritvi Highway near Kathmandu, as rescuers tried to rescue people stranded on the highway.
Five bodies, including a pregnant woman and a four-year-old girl, were found dead after their house in Bhaktapur, east of the capital Kathmandu, collapsed in a landslide, while two more bodies were recovered from a bus buried in Thading, west of the capital. Initial reports said there were 12 people on board.
A landslide also hit the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) football training centre in Magwanpur, southwest of Kathmandu, killing six footballers, while four others were swept away by the Nakku River in southern Kathmandu Valley and are still missing.
The Nepalese military says its teams of volunteers and other agencies have rescued more than 4,000 people since the weekend, using helicopters, motor boats and rubber boats to get stranded people to safety.
Meanwhile, the Nepal Meteorological Department said its preliminary data showed record-breaking rainfall in the 24 hours leading up to Saturday morning, with the Kathmandu airport observatory recording 240 mm of rainfall, the highest since 2002.
Rains should have slowed down towards the end of September, the end of the annual monsoon season, but they have been unusually heavy and could be partly related to climate change, said Arun Bhakta Shrestha, a climate expert at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).
However, Mr. Arun added that unplanned urban development is also one of the factors that exacerbates the impact of natural disasters.
Source:cna
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