Unprecedented rainfall wreaks havoc in Nepal, claims at least 150 lives

Heavy rainfall in Nepal has triggered flooding and landslides across the country which has claimed at least 150 lives while over 60 are missing, police said on Sep 29.

According to eyewitnesses, such a devastating flood is being witnessed in the Kathmandu Valley after almost 50 years.

"I’ve never before seen flooding on this scale in Kathmandu,” Arun Bhakta Shrestha, Climate and Environmental expert at the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) was quoted as saying.

Large parts of eastern and central Nepal have been flooded since Sep 27 with flash floods reported in several parts of the country.

The Armed Police Force sources have said that 64 people are missing in floods, landslides and inundation, while 45 people have been injured, as reported by news agency PTI.

Schools and colleges have been shut for three days as authorities have reported significant damage to university and school buildings making repairs necessary.

"We have urged the concerned authorities to close schools in the affected areas for three days," Lakshmi Bhattarai, spokesperson for the education ministry was quoted as saying.

Some areas in the capital received up to 322.2 mm (12.7 inches) of rainfall, raising the level of the Bagmati River above danger levels. It was flowing at 2.2 meters (7 feet) above the danger mark.

The forecast suggested the rainfall to continue till Oct 1, however, the intensity of the rain had decreased by the morning of Sep 29.

A low-pressure system in the Bay of Bengal and the more northerly than usual position of the monsoon trough was the reason behind the exceptional intensity of rain on Sep 28, ICIMOD said.

Two buses were also caught in a landslide on a significant route in Kathmandu. Rescue efforts are ongoing, with police teams clearing mud and recovering bodies from the accident.

Nepal Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak confirmed severe damage in the Kathmandu Valley. "The Nepal Army, Armed Police Force, and Nepal Police are conducting the search and rescue operations all across the nation," Lekhak was quoted as saying.

As per reports, 226 houses have been submerged in Kathmandu, and around 3,000 security personnel from the Nepal Police are engaged in flood-affected areas.

The monsoon season in the Himalayan nation usually lasts from mid-June to late September but has extended this year.

Nepal has experienced more rain than average, affecting 1.8 million people. The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Authority (NDRRMA) has indicated that 56 out of 77 districts are at risk of potential disasters due to the rains.

In southeast Nepal, the Koshi River's water level has begun to recede. Ram Chandra Tiwari, the region's top bureaucrat, noted that the river was previously running nearly three times its normal level, posing risks for downstream areas in India's Bihar state.

Meanwhile, the Nepal government has urged the government to invest in sustainable infrastructure like underground stormwater and sewage systems to manage flood risks better. It noted that unplanned urbanization and construction on floodplains worsened the flooding.

Earlier in July, two passenger buses were carried away by a landslide into the rain-swollen Trishuli River near Simaltal along the Narayanghat-Mugling Highway section in Nepal. The accident claimed the lives of all the passengers of the two buses except for three people, who jumped out before the bus fell into the river.

Rohit Wadhwaney in Kathmandu contributed to the story.