Death Toll in Nepal Flooding and Landslides Reaches at Least 100, with Dozens Still Missing

AP

17:21 JST, September 29, 2024

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — The death toll from flooding and landslides in Nepal has reached at least 100, with dozens of people still missing.

Police on Sunday morning warned the death toll was expected to rise further as reports come in from villages across the mountainous country.

The weather in Nepal was improved on Sunday and rescue, recovery and clean-up efforts were underway.

Rescuer workers recovered 14 bodies overnight from two buses headed to Kathmandu that were buried in a landslide on a highway near the capital city.

At least one other bus and other vehicles were still buried at the same spot, and rescuer workers were digging through rocks and mud trying to find people.

Kathmandu remained cut off Sunday as the main highways out of the city were blocked by landslides. Three highways, including the key Prithvi highway that connects Kathmandu to the rest of the country, have been blocked by landslides.

Residents in the southern part of Kathmandu, which was inundated by water, were cleaning up their houses as water levels began to recede.

At least 34 people were killed in Kathmandu, which was the hardest hit by Saturday’s flooding.

Police officers and soldiers were assisting with rescue efforts, while heavy equipment was used to clear the landslides from the roads.

The government announced it was closing schools and colleges across Nepal for the next three days.

The heavy rains, which started on Friday, slowed on Saturday night, but were expected to continue through the weekend.

Last week, the government issued flood warnings across the Himalayan nation warning of massive rainfall. Buses were banned from traveling at night on highways and people were discouraged from driving cars.

The monsoon season began in June and usually ends by mid-September.