Nepal: Death toll in floods, landslides reaches nearly 200; 30 people missing

Kathmandu, Sep 30 (PTI) The death toll from rain-induced floods and landslides across Nepal reached nearly 200, with at least 30 people still missing as search and rescue operations continued for the third consecutive day on Monday.

Incessant rainfall over the weekend triggered floods and landslides, wreaking havoc in the Himalayan nation.

At least 192 people have been killed in the continuous rainfall, floods, landslides and inundation, according to Home Ministry Spokesperson Rishiram Tiwari.

He said 194 others have also been injured nationwide in the disaster, while 30 others remain missing.

An all-party meeting convened by Officiating Prime Minister Prakash Man Singh at the Prime Minister's Office in Singha Durbar on Sunday decided to enhance rescue, relief, and re-establishment efforts during the ongoing disaster caused by heavy rains.

The Home Ministry said all security agencies have been deployed for relief efforts following the floods and landslides, and the Nepal Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force personnel have rescued around 4,500 disaster-affected individuals so far.

While those injured are receiving free treatment, food and other emergency relief materials have been provided to others affected by the floods.

Hundreds of people are facing a shortage of food, safe drinking water and sanitation in Kathmandu following the natural disaster, according to eyewitnesses.

Market prices have also soared as vegetables coming from India and other districts of the country have been temporarily halted due to obstruction in major highways due to landslides.

Numerous roads throughout the nation are severely damaged, and all routes leading to the capital city, Kathmandu, are still blocked, leaving thousands of travellers stranded, The Kathmandu Post newspaper reported.

Tiwari said efforts are underway to clear the obstructed highways to resume transportation.

At least 20 hydropower plants with a combined capacity of 1100 MW suffered damages due to floods and landslides triggered by the incessant rainfall in the past three days, which has led to the disruption in power supply in Kathmandu and other major cities.

Kathmandu's main river, the Bagmati, was flowing above danger levels after incessant rain lashed large swathes of eastern and central Nepal on Friday and Saturday, a report published by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) said.

"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 exceptionally intense rain, it said on Saturday.

Scientists say that while climate change is changing the amount and timing of rainfall across Asia, a key reason for the rise in the impact of floods is the built environment, including unplanned construction, especially on floodplains, which leaves insufficient areas for water retention and drainage.

The floods and landslides have thrown life out of gear in many parts of the country, with many highways and road stretches disrupted, hundreds of houses and bridges buried or swept away, and hundreds of families displaced.

Thousands of passengers have been stranded in various places due to road disruption. PTI