51 killed in landslides, floods triggered by downpour in Nepal

Kathmandu:  At least 51 people have been killed in different places of eastern Nepal till Sunday morning in various incidents caused by landslides and floods triggered by downpour since last night, an official of the Armed Police Force said.

As many as 37 people were killed in different places of Ilam district in Koshi province due to landslides following heavy rainfall on Saturday night, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) said in a press release.

Of the 37, eight people each were killed in Deumai and Maijogmai municipalities, six each in Ilam municipality and Sandakpur rural municipality, five in Suryodaya municipality, three in Mangsebung and one in Fakfokthum village, according to the NDRRMA.

One person died in Panchthar due to a landslide, and one each was killed in Khotang and Udayapur districts as they were swept away by floods, said the official.

Four people have gone missing from Rasuwa district as they were swept away by floods. A person buried in a landslide in Panchthar district has also gone missing.

Nepal Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force personnel were involved in carrying out rescue operations.

The security personnel rescued four people, including a pregnant woman, from Ilam district in helicopters and admitted them to a hospital in Dharan municipality.

Separately, three people were killed as they were hit by lightning in Rautahat district on Sunday morning. Similarly, seven people were injured in the incidents of lightning in different places across Nepal.

Three people were injured in Bhojpur district, three in Khotang district and one in Makawanpur district, police said.

Monsoon was active in five of the seven provinces of Nepal, including Koshi, Madhes, Bagmati, Gandaki and Lumbini.

On Saturday, Nepalese authorities restricted the entry and exit of vehicles from Kathmandu due to incessant rainfall and the possibility of landslides for the next three days.

The NDRRMA issued a notice saying restrictions have been put on vehicles entering and exiting Kathmandu Valley from Saturday to Monday.

The authorities also asked people not to operate long route vehicles for the next three days unless in an emergency.

A red alert was issued for areas around the Bagmati and East Rapti rivers.

Continuous downpour was reported in Kathmandu and other parts of the country since Friday night, as the monsoon has become active, the authorities said.

Meanwhile, domestic flights from Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) have been halted due to bad weather.

Hansa Raj Pande, general manager at TIA, Kathmandu, said that domestic flights from Kathmandu, Bharatpur, Janakpur, Bhadrapur, Pokhara and Tumlingtar have been halted until further notice.

(The copy has been updated with the latest death toll)