Residents in Nepal’s flood-hit capital began returning to their homes on Sunday to survey the devastation after heavy monsoon rains caused severe flooding that has claimed at least 104 lives across the country.
Deadly floods and landslides are common during the monsoon season in South Asia but experts are warning that climate change is intensifying the frequency and severity of these disasters.
This weekend, entire neighbourhoods in Kathmandu were submerged, with flash floods tearing through the city and causing extensive damage to major highways.
Kumar Tamang, a 40-year-old resident from a slum near the riverbank, shared his harrowing experience. “We had to flee at midnight as water rushed into our home. Today, everything looks different, with mud blocking our doors,” he told AFP.
Nepal’s home ministry confirmed that 104 people had died nationwide, with another 64 still missing.
Rishi Ram Tiwari, a ministry spokesman, said efforts were ongoing to clear highways blocked by landslides, which have cut off Kathmandu from the rest of the country. “More than 3,000 people have been rescued,” he said.
In one of the worst incidents, 14 people aboard two buses were killed when a landslide buried the vehicles in the Dhading district, south of Kathmandu.
The Nepalese capital recorded 240 millimetres (9.4 inches) of rainfall over 24 hours, the heaviest in more than 50 years, according to the country’s weather bureau.
As rivers like the Bagmati broke their banks, residents waded through chest-deep water to seek refuge on higher ground.
Emergency teams, including over 3,000 security personnel, have been deployed with helicopters, motorboats, and rafts to assist in rescue operations.
cancelled
By Sunday morning, domestic flights had resumed after being grounded by adverse weather conditions, with more than 150 departures canceled.
The summer monsoon, responsible for 70-80% of South Asia’s annual rainfall, regularly brings death and destruction to the region.
However, scientists warn that the increasing frequency of extreme weather events is linked to climate change. Over 260 people in Nepal have lost their lives to rain-related disasters this year alone.