Landslides and flooding triggered by torrential rains have killed at least 15 people in Nepal in the past 24 hours, officials in the tiny Himalayan nation said on Sunday, raising fears that the toll could rise as more heavy rains are expected.
Eighteen people were also injured in the floods in the past 24 hours, and two were missing, said Dan Bahadur Karki, a police spokesman. Dozens of people were evacuated to safety, including some who were pulled from the rubble of their damaged homes.
Officials said the landslides had disrupted traffic in most parts of a country where the terrain already makes travel difficult. Highways were damaged, as were winding roads that connect cities to mountain villages. Military and police were deployed to clear the roads.
Koshi, Gandaki and Bagmati provinces, in the eastern and central parts of the country, were among the worst hit. Weather experts predict that heavy rains could hit the remaining provinces as the rain moves west.
Nepal, one of the world’s most vulnerable to climate change, is regularly hit by landslides and floods. Last year’s monsoon affected nearly 6,000 households, damaging homes and flooding fields. At least 62 people have died since the current monsoon season began in June, the country’s interior ministry said. Most of the deaths were caused by flooding, but lightning also played a role.
Political instability and widespread corruption further complicate the already under-resourced response to the disaster.
The coalition government in Kathmandu is in turmoil again, with a new alliance seeking to topple current Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal. If he is removed, the country will have its second government since parliamentary elections in November 2022.
