KATHMANDU, Oct 6: Nepalis woke up to devastating news on Sunday as floods and landslides triggered by torrential monsoon rains in eastern and central Nepal killed at least 49 people, injured 20, and displaced thousands just as the country was concluding Dashain, its biggest festival.
Continuous downpours over the past two days have also left several others missing.
Most casualties occurred in the hilly districts of Koshi Province, with Ilam worst affected. At least 37 people were killed, one went missing, and seven others were critically injured in multiple landslides in Ilam alone.
Eleven killed, at least 45 missing as torrential rain pounds Ja...
Two deaths were reported in Udayapur, one in Khotang, and six in Panchthar, all in Koshi Province. In Madhesh Province, three people were killed and two injured in Rautahat, while one person remains missing in Bara after being swept away by floodwaters. Kathmandu also reported one person missing due to flooding.
In another tragic incident, four trekkers from Bhaktapur, including three members of the same family, went missing while crossing the swollen Bering River in Rasuwa district on their way to Langtang village. The missing have been identified as Sanskriti Shrestha, 26; Kisan Shrestha, 25; Sanita Shrestha, 26; and Ravi Shrestha, 23.
Heavy rainfall caused major rivers—including the Bagmati, Trishuli, Rapti, Kamala, and Sunkoshi—to overflow, inundating settlements in low-lying areas of Madhesh and Koshi provinces, as well as parts of the Kathmandu Valley.
The floods have displaced around 25,000 people in Jhapa district alone. Police said more than 5,500 families in Jhapa Rural Municipality were forced to flee after the swollen Mai River submerged wards 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7. The displaced are currently sheltering in community buildings, schools, and temples.
According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DoHM), several rivers, including the Saptakoshi and its tributaries Tamor, Sunkoshi, and Arun, have crossed danger levels. The department recorded extreme rainfall in eastern Nepal, with Maheshpur station in Rautahat reporting the highest at 385 millimeters in 24 hours. Other significant rainfall measurements include 314.2 mm in Kanyam Tea Estate, 328.6 mm in Muduli, and 315 mm in Gaur, Rautahat.
Meteorologists said the torrential rains were caused by a low-pressure system formed over the Bay of Bengal, pushed northeast by a westerly wind, intensifying monsoon activity on October 3 and 4. “Such low-pressure formations are not uncommon, but this year the westerly wind caused a strong recurvature that intensified rainfall in eastern Nepal,” said Madan Lal Shrestha, an academician at the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology.
The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport reported that 1,500 meters of river embankments were destroyed by floods, with preliminary damage estimated at Rs 100 million.
Authorities have urged residents in eastern Nepal to remain cautious, as the risk of further landslides and flooding remains high, even though the monsoon system that caused the heavy rainfall is no longer active. Rescue teams, including the Nepali Army and police, have been mobilized to assist affected communities and continue search and relief operations in the hardest-hit areas.
