Nepal: Death Toll Rises To 112 As Heavy Rains Trigger Floods, Landslides

KATHMANDU: Devastating floods and landslides triggered by persistent downpours have wreaked havoc in Nepal, claiming the lives of at least 112 people in the past 24 hours, as per official data.

The natural calamity has also inflicted injuries to over 100 people, with rescue operations underway to trace 68 people who have gone missing due to the catastrophic situation unfolding in the Himalayan country.

According to a police official, as many as 200 incidents of floods and landslides have so far been reported in the country, adding that the figure is expected to increase.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Authority (NDRRMA) have informed that more than 3,000 security personnel were deployed to assist rescue efforts with helicopters and motorboats.

To make matters worse, rivers around the capital city of Kathmandu burst their banks, inundating nearby houses. Bagmati, the main river of Kathmandu, has also been flowing above danger levels following incessant rainfall.

The flooding in the valley brought traffic and normal activity to a standstill. Authorities are working to clear debris and reopen roads where landslides clocked the traffic.

Locals cops have said that main highways have been blocked in 63 locations across the country, while domestic air travel also remains disrupted.

Meanwhile, the Koshi River in the southeast, which causes deadly floods in India's eastern neighbouring state of Bihar almost every year, was running above the danger level at 450,000 cusecs, versus the normal figure of 150,000 cusecs, one official said. A cusec is a measurement of water flow equivalent to one cubic foot a second.

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