At least 65 people have died and several are reported missing after heavy rainfalls triggered flash floods and landslides across Nepal.
The Nepal police on Monday stated that more than 1,446 have been rescued from across the country and 30 people have been identified as missing.
Several people have taken to social media and have shared images of the affected ares in Nepal, including areas of Kathmandu Valley and the Terai’s lowland regions on the southern border next to India. Images show roads and cars submerged in water.
Many residents are reported to have been trapped in their homes, taking shelter on rooftops as floodwater gathered up on their front doors. Several who have attempted to escape from their homes, are seen carrying bundles of belongings on their heads as they wade across chest-deep water.
The rains in Nepal began on Thursday, flooding low-lying towns and villages.The rain have displaced more than 11,000 families and several thousands of people were evacuated after major rivers swelled to dangerous levels.
More than 400 millimeters of rain has been recorded in regions like the Bara District, on the southern border of Nepal. The Nepal Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, recently said that the rain is still pouring, with some western areas expected to receive up to 250 millimeters in the next 48 hours.
Due to the limited amount of rainfall Nepal receives through out the year, Nepal is without sufficient water storage infrastructure.
Monsoon rains have also led to floods and rescue operations are bring carried out in some Indian states that border Nepal. This includes Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Assam, where the access water flowing in from the rivers in Nepal, have created havoc.
Furthermore, At least 32 people have died in Bihar due to the extensive floods in the state, with several rivers overflowing into farmlands. As a result crops have been destroyed and about 18 lakh people have been affected.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, undertook an aerial survey of five districts: Sitamarhi, Sheohar and East Champaran, East Champaran and Madhubani.
The cause of the floods is thought to be excessive rain in the catchment areas of Nepal’s Terai region. In past 3-4 days, the region has experienced a rainfall record of 280-300 mm against an average of 50 mm, this deluge caused five rivers – Baghmati, Kamla Balan, Lalbakeya, Adhwara and Mahananda – to swell, giving rise to floods in Nepal as well as flowing into the neighbouring state of Bihar in India.
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Rescue operations are being conducted in both the countries. Several more are still trapped inside their houses waiting to be rescued.