Nepal flooding death toll at 200 as search operations continue.
Kathmandu: Search and rescue operations are underway in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu after monsoon flooding killed at least 200 people across the Himalayan nation, authorities said on Monday.
The Home Ministry reported the death toll may rise further as 26 people are still missing. Police informed that over 35 died after being buried in their vehicles from landslide debris in Kathmandu.
Bulldozers are clearing roads blocked by debris at nearly two dozen locations leading to the capital. The army has rescued over 4,000 people using helicopters, boats, and rafts.
Rescuers wearing rubber boots are manually removing mud from severely affected areas around Bagmati River which flows through Kathmandu, including many slums.
Experts from organizations like ICIMOD and CARE Nepal stated that unplanned urbanization worsened impacts, and survivors need safe shelter and drinking water.
Farmers are unable to transport produce to markets due to blocked highways, impacting supply. The weather bureau recorded the rainfall in two decades.
Climate expert Arun Bhakta Shrestha said this was an “extreme event” aggravated by climate change. More than 300 died in various rain-induced accidents across Nepal this monsoon season.
Relief and rescue operations are ongoing around Kathmandu as authorities aim to provide urgent humanitarian assistance.
