The heavy rains devastating Nepal have resulted in the death of at least 129 people, with dozens missing. The record-breaking rainfall in the Asian country has caused severe floods and landslides in a Nepal where it has been raining continuously for over 48 hours, as reported by Efe
Additionally, around 60 people have been reported with severe injuries, amid fears that the death toll may rise as floodwaters recede and more bodies are found.
The spokesperson for the Armed Police Force, Deputy Inspector General Kumar Neupane, stated that search and rescue operations are ongoing in several districts. He confirmed that 34 people have died in the Kathmandu Valley alone.
"The joint operation of the Nepalese Army, the Nepalese Police, and the Armed Police Force rescued 2,000 people from different parts of the country," Neupane detailed.
In the town of Makwanpur, six children were buried by a landslide.
Kathmandu recorded the highest level of rainfall since 1970, when Nepal began keeping rainfall records, as indicated by meteorologist Govinda Kumar Jha from the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology to EFE.
A low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal has caused this year's prolonged rains. The monsoon, which usually starts in mid-June and ends in late September, will extend this year until the first week of October.
"This is the first time it has rained continuously for 24 hours in Kathmandu," Jha said. Meteorologists have also forecast heavy rains for Sunday and have warned the population to exercise caution.
The main rivers across the country have flooded, with most surpassing the danger level. In the capital region, including Kathmandu,Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur, several rivers have overflowed, flooding roads and many houses.
More than 70 landslides have occurred in the mountainous region, according to police reports. The police have been working to reopen roads after landslides blocked highways at a hundred points.
Videos and photos on social media platforms and local media showed people wading through waist-deep water. In many places, residents were using buckets to empty their water-filled homes.
"This was one of the worst floods I have seen in Kathmandu in the last 30 years," said Sharmila Sharma, a resident of Bhaktapur.