At least 70 people have died in India and Nepal after heavy rain triggered widespread flooding and landslides, while authorities in both countries warn that rising river levels could bring further flash floods and complicate rescue operations.
In India, 56 people have died and 46 others have been injured, according to authorities cited by Reuters. More than 1,000 homes have also been damaged.
The heaviest losses have been reported in Uttar Pradesh, where 66.5 millimetres of rain fell between September 25 and the morning of September 27. The figure is far above the usual 7.6 millimetres recorded during the same period.
Flooding has affected large parts of the state as emergency teams continue rescue and relief operations. Officials have also been instructed to assess damage to agricultural crops and provide compensation to affected farmers.
India’s Central Water Commission said 30 river-monitoring stations across seven states were reporting severe conditions. Several major rivers, including the Ganga, Gandak, Kosi, Bagmati and Narmada, have risen above danger levels.
The situation is also serious in neighbouring Nepal, where at least 14 people have died and 11 others are missing.
Nepalese authorities have warned of possible flash floods in 49 of the country’s 77 districts as water levels continue to rise in major rivers and their tributaries.
Authorities have urged residents in vulnerable areas to remain alert and prepare for further deterioration. Several districts are also dealing with damage to roads, homes, electricity infrastructure and telecommunications networks.
Power supplies have been disrupted in parts of Manang, Mustang, Myagdi and Baglung, while flooding of the Rahuganga River damaged structures and transmission-line towers linked to a 40-megawatt hydropower project.
Flooding and landslides have also damaged telecommunications infrastructure in some parts of Nepal after optical-fibre cables and electricity systems were affected.
The latest disaster comes only weeks after a much larger catastrophe in Nepal. A massive landslide triggered by the collapse of the Langtang Lirung glacier on August 26 caused catastrophic flooding downstream, killing more than 1,400 people and leaving thousands missing. Rescue teams are still searching through damaged hydropower facilities and other affected areas.
The continuing rainfall means that the recovery from the earlier disaster is now taking place alongside a new round of flood and landslide risks.
A separate incident has also added to the emergency situation in Nepal. Ten local workers are missing after an avalanche struck the base camp of Himlung Himal, a 7,126-metre mountain in Manang district. The workers had been preparing tents for foreign climbers, who were not at the camp when the avalanche occurred.
The latest developments show that the immediate danger has not ended. Rising rivers, saturated ground and continuing rainfall could trigger additional flooding and landslides, while damaged roads and communications networks may make access to affected communities more difficult.
For both India and Nepal, the priority remains rescue, relief and damage assessment. But the scale of the current warnings means authorities are also preparing for the possibility that the disaster could expand before weather and river conditions stabilize.
