In Pictures: Devastating floods in Nepal, 148 people dead

The death toll from floods and landslides in Nepal has reached 148, with 59 missing. The rains began Thursday, causing widespread devastation. Kathmandu Valley has been hit hardest, with 73 deaths. Koshi Province reported 17 fatalities, and Bagmati Province recorded 56. Thousandsdeath toll, the Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, and Nepali Army have saved thousands of people. Photo credit: @yuvnique/X

The intense rainfall injured 60 people and rescued over 3,661. However, the destruction is immense, with 322 houses destroyed and 16 bridges damaged, cutting off essential transportation routes. In Dhadhing’s Jhyaple Khola area, 35 bodies were recovered after landslides buried four buses, highlighting the disaster’s severity and rescue challenges. Photo credit: @yuvnique/X

Rescue operations, including helicopter evacuations, are ongoing as authorities work to locate the missing and assist those affected. Continuous rainfall and roadblocks are hampering ground efforts. Deputy Superintendent of Police Shailendra Thapa confirmed search operations are active to ensure no other vehicles are buried under debris in Jhyaple Khola, where landslides engulfed two microbuses and a larger bus on Saturday. Photo credit: @airnewsalerts/X

Hundreds of stranded passengers are being evacuated to Kathmandu via the under-construction Nagdhunga-Sisneri tunnel. Local journalists captured the challenging conditions and heroic rescue efforts. The floods and landslides have claimed 112 lives in the past 24 hours, according to the Armed Police Force and Nepal Police, with 68 unaccounted for and 100 injured. Photo credit: @airnewsalerts/X

Affected districts include Kavrepalanchowk, Lalitpur, Dhading, and Kathmandu, with significant casualties. Other districts like Makwanpur, Sindhupalchowk, Dolakha, Panchthar, and Bhaktapur have also suffered losses. Dhankuta, Solukhumbu, Ramchhap, Mahottari, and Sunsari reported fatalities. Nepal’s Home Minister, Ramesh Lekhak, acknowledged the damage from the relentless rainfall and ongoing rescue operations. Photo credit: @airnewsalerts/X

Kathmandu recorded a record-breaking 323 millimetres of rainfall in 24 hours on Saturday, marking the heaviest downpour in 54 years. Nepal has experienced heavy rains since Thursday, driven by moisture from the Bay of Bengal and a low-pressure system. This has triggered a national humanitarian crisis, with rescue teams working round the clock to assist severely affected areas. Photo credit: @narendrakumar4u/X

The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Authority (NDRRMA) has issued warnings for 56 of Nepal’s 77 districts due to ongoing rainfall. Nepal, home to nine of the world’s ten highest peaks, has seen above-average rainfall this year. An estimated 1.8 million people have been affected, and the NDRRMA projects over 412,000 households could be impacted by monsoon-related disasters. Photo credit: @jaggirm/X

Nepal’s monsoon season usually starts mid-June and ends September, but this year it may extend until late October. The 2024 monsoon started three days earlier, on June 10. The monsoon period, delivering 80% of the country’s annual rainfall, typically lasts 105 days, but trends show it extending longer. As of Friday, the country received 1,586.3 millimeters of rainfall, surpassing the annual average. Photo credit: @thebhutanese/X