In one of the deadliest natural disasters to strike Nepal in decades, more than 200 people lost their lives over the weekend as flash floods swept through Kathmandu and surrounding valleys, leaving devastation in their wake. The heaviest monsoon rains in twenty years inundated large parts of the capital, washing away entire neighborhoods, bridges, and roads.

The Bagmati River, which cuts through the heart of Kathmandu, surged over two meters above safe levels, inundating the city and leaving large swathes underwater. By Monday, authorities had confirmed the recovery of 204 bodies, while at least 30 individuals remained missing or stranded and hundreds more were injured. Many victims had been traveling on buses that were engulfed as surging floodwaters swept across major highways.

Nepal’s army stepped in to rescue more than 4,000 people using helicopters, motorboats, and rafts, while search teams worked tirelessly to locate individuals trapped under deep mud and debris. In some cases, rescue crews used ziplines to reach those isolated by floodwaters. The aftermath has left thousands displaced, cut off from essential supplies like power and drinking water. Extensive damage to infrastructure meant that all major routes out of Kathmandu remained blocked, and schools across the capital have been ordered closed for three days.

Officials and environmental experts have pointed to the climate crisis as the root cause of the increasing frequency and severity of such events. This year alone, more than 300 people have died in Nepal from rain-related incidents, and studies suggest heavy flooding will become even more common in the coming years as the nation grapples with the impact of a changing climate.

Arun Bhakta Shrestha, an environmental risks expert at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), emphasized that he had “never before seen flooding on this scale in Kathmandu.” ICIMOD further pointed out that unplanned urban expansion and unauthorized construction on flood plains had exacerbated the impact of the floods. It called for the restoration of wetlands in vulnerable areas to mitigate future disasters.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/sep/30/more-than-200-dead-in-nepal-floods-as-parts-of-kathmandu-left-under-water