KATHMANDU: Following two days of intense rain, which caused landslides and floods around the Himalayan nation, 170 people were murdered and scores more were reported missing on Sunday. As a result, the country closed its schools for three days.
Over the weekend, the Kathmandu valley had a complete cessation of transportation and regular activities due to the floods. However, on Sunday morning, domestic flights began operating again from Kathmandu, following the cancellation of at least 150 departures.
According to Nepal’s home ministry, 170 people have died nationwide, while 42 more are still unaccounted for.
South of Kathmandu, a landslide slammed down a roadway, burying alive at least 35 people who were riding in three vehicles.
In TV footage, police rescuers wearing knee-high rubber boots were shown removing muck with picks and shovels and recovering 16 passenger remains from two buses that had been carried away by a major landslide at a location on the main highway into Kathmandu.
Rainfall of high to 322.2 mm (12.7 in) was reported in some areas of the capital, experts claimed, raising the main Bagmati river’s level by 2.2 m (7 ft) above the danger zone.
However, a weather forecaster named Govinda Jha noted that there were some signs of relief on Sunday morning when the rains subsided in numerous areas. In the capital, people began going back to their mud-splattered homes to examine the damage caused by the disastrous floods.
Authorities did note that parents and students faced challenges while university and school buildings damaged by the rains needed to be repaired. The education ministry’s Lakshmi Bhattarai stated, “We have urged the concerned authorities to close schools in the affected areas for three days.”
