Nepal assesses destruction as deadly floods claim the lives of at least 193 people.
Recovery and rescue efforts have intensified as the death toll nears 200.
Search and rescue teams in Nepal’s capital have been combing through damaged homes as floodwaters slowly recede.
On Monday, officials confirmed that the death toll from the monsoon floods and landslides had risen to 193 across the Himalayan nation. According to police, at least 31 people remain missing, with many others injured.
Kathmandu saw entire neighborhoods submerged after experiencing its heaviest rainfall in over two decades. The capital was briefly cut off from the rest of the country, as landslides blocked key highways.
“Our priority is search and rescue, particularly for those stranded on highways,” said Rishi Ram Tiwari, spokesman for the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Deadly floods and landslides are common across South Asia during the monsoon season, which runs from June to September. However, experts warn that climate change is exacerbating the severity of these disasters.
The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, a Nepal-based think tank, noted that the severity of the disaster was exacerbated by unplanned urban expansion along the Bagmati River, which runs through Kathmandu.
The Nepalese army reported that over 4,000 people had been rescued using helicopters, motorboats, and rafts, while bulldozers were deployed to clear nearly two dozen sections of major highways leading into the capital, which had been blocked by landslide debris.
According to Nepal’s weather bureau, preliminary data from 14 districts recorded unprecedented rainfall in the 24 hours leading up to Saturday morning. A monitoring station at Kathmandu’s airport measured approximately 240mm (9.4 inches) of rain—the highest level since 2002.
The monsoon season, which provides 70-80% of South Asia’s annual rainfall, is critical for agriculture and food production in the region, home to nearly two billion people. However, it also brings widespread destruction in the form of floods and landslides.
Experts warn that climate change is intensifying both the frequency and severity of these disasters. So far this year, more than 300 people have died in Nepal due to rain-related incidents.
A man carrying a sack of flour wades through floodwaters after the Bagmati River overflowed following heavy monsoon rains in Kathmandu.
