Toll climbs to 104 as rains lash Nepal, trigger floods and landslides

Kathmandu: The death toll from flooding and landslides triggered by heavy rains in Nepal climbed to 104 on Thursday after 16 more fatalities were reported from various parts of the country, officials said. Forty-one people have gone missing and the same have been injured in the incidents so far, according to the latest data published by the ministry’s Disaster Management Division. According to a Home Ministry statement, the highest number of fatalities, 62 were reported from Province No. 1, followed by Sudur Paschim Province with 31 fatalities and Karnali Province with seven fatalities. At least 104 people lost their lives in the recent incidents of flood, landslides and inundation that hit different parts of the country, following incessant rains over the past three days, health ministry officials said. Three persons were killed in Lumbini province and one in Bagmati province. In Province 1, where the death toll has reached 62, 20 have been injured and 13 have gone missing. Of the total 62 fatalities, 14 were reported in Ilam, 26 in Panchthar, seven in Dhankuta, eight in Sunsari, two in Udayapur, and one each in Morang, Solukhumbu and Bhojpur. In Sudur Paschim where a total of 31 deaths were reported, 16 cases were reported in Doti, eight in Bajhang, four in Baitadi, two in Dadeldhura and one in Kailali. In Karnali Province, where seven deaths were reported, six from Humla and one from Kalikot. In Lumbini where three deaths were reported, two from Pyuthan and one from Kapilvastu. Similarly, the Sindhuli district of Bagmati Province reported a single fatality in the disaster. The natural disaster hit 20 districts of Nepal. However, weather conditions have started improving from Thursday, the officials said. Home Minister Balkrishna Khand has directed the Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, National Investigation Department and Nepal Army to promptly rescue the foreign tourists stranded at Humla district. Meanwhile, seven persons, including four foreign tourists who were stranded at Tumling of Namkha Rural Municipality in north Humla were rescued by security personnel on Thursday. They were airlifted to Simikot, the headquarters of Humla district, from Tumling by a helicopter. Four Slovenians and their three Nepali trekking guides were stranded due to heavy snowfall for the past three days. Snowfall started in the area on Sunday and the rescue works could not be carried out on Wednesday due to bad weather. The local administration has sought a helicopter from the home ministry to carry out the rescue operation, officials said.