KATHMANDU / NEW DELHI – Torrential monsoon downpours have triggered devastating landslides and floods across Nepal and neighboring India, claiming the lives of more than 60 people as rescue workers struggle to reach cut-off communities in the remote, rugged mountainous terrain.
The relentless rains, which have lashed Nepal since Friday, have left rivers in spate and vast areas of the Himalayan nation submerged. Shanti Mahat, spokeswoman for Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, confirmed to AFP that rain-triggered disasters have resulted in at least 44 deaths and five people are reported missing. The eastern district of Ilam has been the hardest hit, where landslides alone killed 37 people.
“Heavy rains overnight caused the landslides,” explained local district official Sunita Nepal, detailing the immediate challenges. “With roads blocked, some areas are difficult to reach. Rescue workers are heading there on foot.” Rivers in the capital, Kathmandu, have also swelled, inundating settlements along their banks, prompting the deployment of security personnel with helicopters and motorboats to assist in the rescue efforts.
The human element of the disaster is stark, yet mixed with a sliver of preparedness. Vegetable seller Rajan Khadga, 38, expressed some relief, noting, “There is some damage, but thanks to the authorities’ prior flood alert, we were able to move some belongings to a safe place.” The landslides have blocked several crucial highways, disrupting flights and stranding hundreds of travellers, many of whom were returning home after celebrating the major Hindu festival of Dashain.
Nepali Prime Minister Sushila Karki declared Sunday and Monday public holidays, urging citizens to avoid non-essential travel. In an address, she reassured the nation, “Your safety is our utmost concern. Do not hesitate to seek necessary assistance,” confirming government agencies are “fully prepared for rescue and relief.”
Across the border in India, the situation is equally dire. At least 20 people were killed in the tea-growing hill district of Darjeeling in West Bengal state after heavy overnight rain unleashed flash floods and landslides, sweeping away homes and infrastructure. Harsh Vardhan Shringla, a lawmaker in India’s upper house, confirmed the grim toll, stating, “In the wake of last night’s heavy cyclone in the Darjeeling hills, over 20 people have lost their lives.”
Indian television footage captured the intensity of the damage, showing raging waters smashing into bridges and caving in roads as rescue workers used cables to access isolated regions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief, saying he was “pained by the loss of lives” and assuring the public that the situation in Darjeeling was being “closely monitored.”
India’s weather department has issued a red alert for “extremely heavy rainfall” in sub-Himalayan areas, including Darjeeling, until Monday. The deluge has also caused rivers to swell in neighboring Bhutan, where the Indian army was deployed to help evacuate civilians stranded in the border town of Phuentsholing.
While monsoon rains typically bring widespread destruction across South Asia from June to September, experts note that the frequency and intensity of fatal floods and landslides have been escalating in recent years. The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in Kathmandu warned back in June that climate change has worsened their schedule and intensity, raising the risk of “water-induced disasters such as floods, landslides, and debris flows” for vulnerable mountain communities this season.
