Devastation caused by floods and landslides in Nepal, death toll crosses 170, rescue operation continues

Kathmandu: The death toll due to torrential rains as well as floods and landslides in Nepal has increased to 170 on Saturday. Search and rescue operations are underway across the country. Traces of damage are visible just a few meters after crossing the Thankot check post, the main entry point, with small landslides, uprooted trees and debris clearly visible, giving a clear picture of the situation. . A 6.8 km long road stretch on the Tribhuvan Highway has been blocked due to landslides, with several vehicles buried in them, the number of which is yet to be ascertained, and bodies are being pulled out from the debris. “We suspect that there are four buses buried under the debris, three are already visible and we are also excavating one more bus,” Dhading district police chief Gautam KC told ANI.

Floods and landslides following heavy rains have wreaked havoc in Nepal, taking the death toll to more than 170 so far. Search and rescue operations are still going on, where work is being done to rescue passengers and buses trapped under the debris. According to police officer KC, the joint police team of Kathmandu and Dhading is busy searching for the remains of buses that came from different districts and excavating the bodies. 14 bodies were recovered on Saturday, while 13 more bodies had been recovered by Sunday afternoon. A total of 35 bodies have been found so far, but the search operation is still going on.

Watch video here

#WATCH Flood in Nepal Death toll due to landslides and floods triggered by torrential rains across the country rises to 170: Home Ministry

The rescue operation is going on. pic.twitter.com/fSUuvWbhM6

— ANI_HindiNews (@AHindinews) September 29, 2024

Many passenger buses fell from the hill and got buried under debris in the landslide caused by heavy rains. The passengers of these buses, trapped in the dark, got buried in mud and debris. The bodies retrieved by the rescue teams are being taken to Kathmandu for post-mortem and handed over to the relatives of the victims.

The disaster has paralyzed vehicular movement on major highways of Nepal, leaving thousands of vehicles stranded. The monsoon season in Nepal, which was supposed to start from June 13 and continue till the end of September, has extended till October this time. Nepal has already recorded 107 percent more rainfall than average this year, affecting about 1.8 million people. According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), more than 412 thousand houses are estimated to be affected by this monsoon.

Also read – Horrible situation in Nepal, 99 people died in landslides and floods due to torrential rains.