KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 23
Approximately 101 people have died and additional 33 people are still missing in the last four days due to the various disasters triggered by unseasonal rain across the country.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, issuing a detailed report of the casualties caused by the untimely rain during the last four days, it also stated that a total of 32 people were injured in the disasters while 71 houses were completely destroyed.
Incessant rainfall mainly in the eastern and western parts of the country had triggered flood, landslide and inundation in 23 districts. On October 19, a total of six people had died, 63 people died on October 20, 25 died on October 21 and 13 people died on October 22.
Among those who lost their lives, majority are from Panchthar district in the eastern region. The deceased were either trapped inside their house in landslide, or were swept away by floods. Of the Panchthar casualties, 21 deaths were recorded in Milkajung Rural Municipality alone. Similarly, Doti district in western Nepal saw 16 deaths mostly due to landslide.
Ilam, another mountainous district in eastern Nepal recorded 14 deaths due to flood and landslide, 10 each died in Sunsari and Bajhang districts, seven died in Dhankuta, six in Humla, four in Baitadi. Similarly, Udayapur, Pyuthan, and Dadeldhura, each recorded two casualties and Morang, Bhojpur, Solukhumbu, Sindhuli, Salyan, Kailali, and Accham each recorded one fatality.
The highest number of missing people were recorded in Bajhang district with a total of 19 persons gone missing.
Of those injured, highest number (13) was recorded in Doti district followed by Panchthar with nine injuries.
The government has claimed that over 1,500 people were rescued during the disasters across the country.
Although rainfall has started subsiding across the country, the Meteorological Forecasting Division has forecast light to moderate rainfall. Similarly, the highways and electricity supply obstructed by rainfall and landslides has started resuming in the country.
The month of October in Nepal is called post-monsoon period. However, a rare system caused by combination of low-pressure system from the Bay of Bengal and westerly wind from the Caribbean sea caused the untimely heavy rain in Nepal.
A version of this article appears in the print on October 24, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
