KATHMANDU: The death toll from rain-triggered floods and landslides across Nepal climbed to 170, with 42 missing on Sunday, officials said.
Large swathes of eastern and central Nepal have been inundated since Friday, with flash floods reported in parts of the country.
According to police, 170 people have been killed due to floods and landslides across Nepal.
Home ministry officials said 42 people are missing in floods, landslides and inundation. As many as 111 people have sustained injuries in flood-related incidents, home ministry spokesperson Rishiram Pokharel said.
He said search and rescue operations were under way. As many as 4,000 people affected by flood and inundation have been rescued by the Nepal Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force personnel, Pokharel added.
National highways have been blocked since Saturday, with hundreds of people stranded on various highways due to landslides. Transport has resumed at the Tribhuvan Highway connecting Kathmandu to other districts, Pokharel said.
The flood damaged at least 322 houses and 16 bridges across Nepal.
Eyewitnesses said they have never seen such a devastating flood and inundation in the Kathmandu Valley in 40-45 years.
“I’ve never before seen flooding on this scale in Kathmandu,” said Arun Bhakta Shrestha, Climate and Environmental expert at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).
Kathmandu’s main river, the Bagmati, was flowing above danger levels after incessant rain lashed much of eastern and central Nepal on Friday and Saturday, a report published by ICIMOD said.
AP/PTI

Agencies