KATHMANDU: At least 66 people have been killed in Nepal since Friday as persistent downpours triggered flooding and landslides, closing major roads and disrupting domestic air travel, officials said on Saturday.

Home ministry official Dil Kumar Tamang said the death toll could rise, with another 69 people reported missing, and 60 injured since Friday morning.

Most of the deaths took place in the Kathmandu valley, where the flooding brought traffic and normal activity to a standstill.

International flights are operating, but many domestic flights have been disrupted, said Rinji Sherpa, a spokesperson for Kathmandu airport.

Rescue workers used helicopters and rubber boats to help people stranded on rooftops or elevated ground as parts of Kathmandu reported up to 322.2mm (12.68 inches) of rain. Officials were also working to clear debris and reopen roads after landslides blocked highways in 28 places, said police spokesperson Dan Bahadur Karki.

Most rivers in the Himalayan nation have swollen, spilling over roads and bridges, authorities said, after nearly a week’s delay in the retreat of South Asia’s annual monsoon rains brought torrential downpours across the region.

“Heavy rains are likely to continue until Sunday morning,” said Binu Maharjan, a weather forecasting official in Kathmandu.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2024