Landslides and floods caused by torrential rains have killed at least 15 people in Nepal in the past 24 hours, officials in the small Himalayan country said on Sunday, voicing fears that the number could rise if more heavy rains are expected.
Eighteen people were also injured in the floods over the past 24 hours, and two are missing, said Dan Bahadur Karki, a police spokesman. Dozens of people were evacuated to safety, including some pulled from the rubble of their damaged homes.
Officials said the landslides have hampered vehicular traffic in most parts of a country where terrain already makes travel difficult. Highways were damaged, as were the winding roads connecting towns and mountain villages. The army and police were deployed to clear the roads.
Koshi, Gandaki and Bagmati provinces, in the east and center of the country, were among the worst affected. Weather experts predict heavy rains could hit the remaining provinces as the rain moves west.
Nepal, one of the places most vulnerable to climate change, regularly experiences landslides and floods. Last year’s monsoon affected nearly 6,000 households, damaging homes and flooding fields. At least 62 people have lost their lives since the current monsoon season began in June, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs. Most deaths were the result of flooding, but lightning also played a role.
Political instability and widespread corruption have complicated the already under-resourced disaster response.
The coalition government in Kathmandu is once again in disarray as a new alliance attempts to overthrow the current Prime Minister, Pushpa Kamal Dahal. If he is ousted, the country will have its second government since the November 2022 parliamentary elections.
