Kathmandu: At least 41 people have died in Nepal due to landslides and other natural disasters triggered by relentless monsoon rains that have impacted various parts of the country since Friday, police reported on Sunday.
According to Ghana News Agency, Nepal police spokesman Binod Ghimire stated that the majority of the fatalities occurred in the Ilam district of eastern Nepal, where numerous landslides have occurred since Saturday night. "A total of 37 people were killed from landslides in Ilam alone, while the remaining fatalities were due to lightning and flash floods in other areas," Ghimire reported, noting that at least six individuals remain missing across the country.
The continuous downpours have led to the destruction or severe damage of several roads and bridges, according to police accounts. In response to the heightened risk of additional landslides, authorities have declared a public holiday and imposed restrictions on vehicle movement along major highways.
Heavy rainfall has battered large regions of eastern and central Nepal since Friday, exacerbating the risk of further natural disasters. Although the monsoon rains have subsided in the Kathmandu Valley, rising river levels prompted the inundation of thousands of homes on Saturday.
Landslides and floods are frequent occurrences in the Himalayan nation during the rainy season, resulting in hundreds of fatalities each year. Experts attribute the severe impact of such disasters to Nepal's fragile mountain topography, inadequate disaster forecasting, and insufficient post-disaster response capabilities.
