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CatastropheNepal

Nepal: Monsoon rains cause deadly flash floods, landslides

July 7, 2024

Officials say at least 14 people have been killed as Nepal is lashed with heavy rainfall.

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People wade through a flooded road along the bank of overflowing Bagmati River following heavy rains in Kathmandu
Nepalese authorities say the deaths from flooding and landslides have taken place at locations around the countryImage: Navesh Chitrakar/REUTERS

Persistent rainfall in Nepal has caused flash flooding and landslides that have killed at least 14 people, authorities said on Sunday.

Police said the deaths occurred in various locations and that at least nine people are missing.

People watch the flooded Bagmati river in Kathmandu, Nepal
Monsoon season lasts from June through September and deaths from landlsides and flash floods are a frequent occurrenceImage: Niranjan Shrestha/AP/picture alliance

At least 50 deaths since June

"Our team is working in affected areas, trying to find the missing and move the affected people to safety," police spokesman Dan Bahadur Karki told German news agency DPA, on Sunday.

Parts of Nepal have been experiencing heavy rainfall since Thursday, prompting authorities in the Himalayan nation to warn of flash floods in multiple rivers.

Monsoon season typically takes place between June and September and fatal floods and landslides are not uncommon.

Last month 14 people were killed in Nepal after severe storms triggered landslides, lightning and flooding.

Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority says that at least 50 people have died since June due to extreme weather events.

Nepal's topography and network of river systems make it highly susceptible to disasters, a situation that is likely to be exacerbated by climate change.

The number of disasters per year is projected to increase globally from 2015 by 40% by 2030, according to the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).

Heat wave in Asia prompts climate change warning

kb/rc (dpa, AFP)