Death toll from rainfall-induced disaster reaches 236 with 28 other missing

KATHMANDU, Oct 1: Disaster incidents induced by persistent rainfall across the country have resulted in at least 236 deaths in the past six days, leaving 107 individuals injured and 28 others missing. 

According to the Armed Police Force (APF), as of 10:30 am on Tuesday, at least 98 individuals succumbed to disaster incidents while 30 sustained injuries and 14 have been missing in the Kathmandu valley. Of the 98 reported dead in the valley, 53 died in Kathmandu, 40 persons in Lalitpur and five others in Bhaktapur district.

Of the seven provinces, Bagmati Province was affected the most in terms of casualties, where at least 201 individuals lost their lives to the disaster incidents, 91 were injured and 21 went missing. Similarly, 26 people died, nine were injured and five went missing in Koshi Province; six died, seven were injured, and one went missing in Madhesh Province; and three died  and one went missing in Lumbini Province.

A total of 1769 housing infrastructures were destroyed across the country with the highest of 1400 losses in Bagmati Province alone. Similarly, 103 houses were destroyed in Koshi Province and 266 in Madhesh Province. Three tipper trucks, two excavators and bulldozers swept away by an overflowing Trishuli river on Saturday morning are yet to be recovered.

As per the spokesperson of the APF, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Kumar Neupane, rescue efforts from police personnel resulted in the safe rescue of 4509 individuals who have been evacuated to safe spots in their local bodies. Of the 4509 rescued, 1902 individuals were rescued in the valley alone, 1143 in districts of Bagmati Province excluding the Kathmandu valley, 1379 in Koshi Province, and the remaining 85 in Madhesh Province.