Nepal: Death toll in rain-induced floods, landslides reaches 112, 68 still missing

The devastating series of floods, landslides and inundations has pushed the death toll to 112 in Nepal so far in the last 24 hours, as per data received from the Armed Police Force (APF) and the Nepal Police on Sunday.

In addition to that, 68 people still remain missing, with 100 more sustaining injuries in the disaster.

As per APF and Nepal Police, till Sunday morning, a total of 34 people were found dead in Kavrepalanchowk, with 20 in Lalitpur, 15 in Dhading, 12 in Kathmandu, seven in Makwanpur, four in Sindhupalchowk, three in Dolakha and five each in Panchthar and Bhaktapur districts.

Additionally, two people each have been found dead in Dhankuta and Solukhumbu, one each in the Ramchhap, Mahottari and Sunsari districts.

According to Nepal Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, the recent rainfall had caused severe damage to the Kathmandu Valley and the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police have been conducting search and rescue operations all across the Himalayan nation.

“Due to the heavy rainfall all across the nation, we are collecting information about induced damages; a meeting of the (disaster) command post also has been conveyed. A huge amount of damage to life and properties has been recorded all across the nation. The recent rainfall has also affected the Kathmandu Valley severely. The Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police are conducting the search and rescue operations all across the nation,” Lekhak told reporters on Saturday.

On Saturday, Kathmandu recorded a record-breaking rainfall in its 54 years with 323 millimetres of rainfall, recorded within 24 hours on that day.

Nepal since Thursday evening had been experiencing heavy rains influenced by water vapour from the Bay of Bengal and a low-pressure system in the region, which eventually sparked a humanitarian crisis all across the nation.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Authority (NDRRMA) also issued a warning for 56 out of 77 districts about possible disasters due to the rains, advising people to adopt caution.

Home to nine of the ten highest peaks in the world, Nepal has already estimated more rain than average this year, with a total of 1.8 million people getting affected by it.

The NDRRMA had also estimated that 412 thousand households would be affected by monsoon-related disasters.

The monsoon season in the Himalayan nation generally begins around June 13 and usually ends around September end but now it is expected to extend till late October.

This year, the clouds from the south entered Nepal from the western region on June 10, three days ahead of the usual onset date. Last year, the weather phenomenon started on June 14, a day after the normal onset day.

The monsoon period, which delivers around 80 per cent of the country’s total annual rainfall, generally lasts 105 days. But, in recent years, it has been taking more time to end.

According to data from the Meteorological Office, the country received 1,586.3 millimetres of rainfall as of Friday morning since the monsoon entered on June 10.

Normally, the country receives an average rainfall of 1,472 mm in the four months–June, July, August, and September. Last year, the country witnessed only 1,303 mm of rainfall in the season.