14 August 2017•Update: 15 August 2017
By Deepak Adhikari
KATHMANDU, Nepal
At least 70 people were killed and tens of thousands displaced due to heavy monsoon rains over the weekend that triggered landslides and floods across Nepal, officials said Monday.
The seasonal floodwaters inundated 34,000 houses in the densely-populated southern plains bordering India, the Home Ministry said in a statement; 50 people remain missing and more than 20 others were reported injured.
In India, more than 80 people were reportedly killed due to similar landslides and floods.
Images posted on Nepali social media showed collapsed bridges, survivors wading through waist-high floodwaters, with many holding onto things that they had salvaged from the catastrophe.
Hundreds of people survived by rushing towards rooftops after their homes submerged in floodwaters, according to local news reports.
Health Ministry warned about water-borne diseases following the floods.
“The water levels in eastern region have receded, but areas in western region have been flooded in the last two days. We have been assessing the situation,” Home Minister Janardan Sharma told Radio Kantipur on Monday.
“First, we are sending food and tents to survivors. Then, we will attend to their medical needs. We are also evacuating those who have been stranded,” Sharma said.
The home minister also said dozens of army barracks and police offices had been hit, with floodwaters damaging their communication system.
“The army even struggled to save their weapons. Those who were supposed to carry out rescue were themselves stranded,” he said.
A total of 10,000 security forces have been deployed in flood-affected areas.
Out of Nepal’s 75 districts, 26 were hit by flooding, with more than 35 casualties reported in three districts of southeastern Nepal.
The floodwaters, which flowed into human settlements from streams that were swollen by rainwater, damaged power lines and powerhouses, leading to outages in 16 districts of eastern Nepal, according to state run Nepal Electricity Authority.
Meanwhile, hundreds of youth ran donation drives, collected medicines, clothes and food for survivors in capital Kathmandu.
The government also set up a special committee to coordinate collection of relief materials.
The natural disasters-prone country faces calamity every year during monsoon season, which runs between June and September.
The government has come under fire for lack of preparedness despite millions of dollars spent to reduce casualties from such calamities.
