At least 32 people have been killed and 12 others reported missing, according to officials, as incessant rains in Nepal have unleashed floods and landslides during the last 24 hours.
More than 3,000 security personnel were deployed to assist rescue efforts with helicopters and motorboats on Saturday, as parts of the country, including the capital Kathmandu, have been inundated. Authorities are also warning of more possible flash floods in multiple rivers.
Monsoon rains from June to September bring widespread death and destruction every year in the Himalayan nation and across South Asia, but the number of fatal floods and landslides has risen in recent years.
“Police are working with other agencies and locals to rescue and find the missing people,” Basanta Adhikari, a spokesman for Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, told the AFP news agency.
A truck driver who witnessed the flooding said that when he went outside in the middle of the night, the water had already reached up to his shoulders.
“My whole truck is underwater,” Hari Malla told AFP.
Since Friday evening, all domestic flights out of Kathmandu have been cancelled, affecting more than 150 departures. International flights are still in operation, Rinji Sherpa, a spokesperson for Kathmandu airport, told the Reuters news agency.
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