Active Stocks
Thu Mar 28 2024 15:59:33
  1. Tata Steel share price
  2. 155.90 2.00%
  1. ICICI Bank share price
  2. 1,095.75 1.08%
  1. HDFC Bank share price
  2. 1,448.20 0.52%
  1. ITC share price
  2. 428.55 0.13%
  1. Power Grid Corporation Of India share price
  2. 277.05 2.21%
Business News/ News / World/  Nepal floods: Death toll reaches 78, 35 Indian tourists rescued
BackBack

Nepal floods: Death toll reaches 78, 35 Indian tourists rescued

All the 35 Indian tourists, who were stranded in the Chitwan National Park in Nepal due to the floods, have been rescued, says the Indian embassy

At least 12 people were killed in a landslide in Nepal on Monday, taking the death toll in floods and rain-related calamities to 78 across the Himalayan nation. Photo: AFPPremium
At least 12 people were killed in a landslide in Nepal on Monday, taking the death toll in floods and rain-related calamities to 78 across the Himalayan nation. Photo: AFP

Kathmandu: At least 12 people were killed in a landslide in Nepal on Monday, taking the death toll in floods and rain-related calamities to 78 across the Himalayan nation, even as all the 35 stranded Indian tourists have been rescued, officials said.

Heavy rainfall has lashed Nepal for the past four days, swelling several Himalayan rivers beyond the danger mark and causing flooding and landslides at many places in the country.

The river Rapti, which flows through a large part of Nepal towards the southern plains, flooded human settlements and hotels popular with tourists in the Chitwan Valley.

All the 35 Indian nationals, who were stranded in Sauraha, a part of the Chitwan National Park, have been rescued, an Indian embassy spokesperson said. They were rescued to safer place by using tamed elephants.

Although earlier reports quoting local authorities said that 200 Indian tourists were among the 700 stranded people, the Indian embassy official said only 35 of them were Indian nationals.

According to Nepal’s ministry of home affairs (MoHA), at least 12 people were killed in the landslide in Morang district, taking the death toll in the district to 17 and overall to 78. Thirty-five people were also missing since Friday.

The monsoon havoc has affected 27 districts spanning from the eastern and central to the western regions.

Nine persons were killed in Rautahat, eight were killed in Sunsari, four each in Sarlahi, Sindhuli, Bara, Makawanpur and Banke districts, five persons were killed in Jhapa, three killed each in Dang and Surkhet, two each were killed in Bardiya and Chitwan and nine persons were killed elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Nepal’s energy minister Mahendra Bahadur Sahi has claimed that the highways built along the no man’s land on the Indian side of the border are the major reasons behind the floods in the Terai.

“The highways made by elevating the land next to the Nepal-India border have restricted the natural flow of water, leaving Nepal’s Terai plains submerged during the rainy season," Shahi said.

The government will take up the issue with India during Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s India visit slated for next week, Shahi said on Sunday.

Floods have inundated a total of 34,843 houses across the plains. More than 1,000 houses were destroyed in the floods that killed an estimated 400 livestock, the Kathmandu Post reported.

The government has mobilised Nepal police, Nepali army and armed police force personnel for rescue and recovery work. While rainfall is likely to continue for the next few days, as predicted by the Meteorological Forecasting Division (MFD).

Weathermen have said the extreme rainfall, starting from eastern Nepal, witnessed in the last few days was caused by the formation of a low pressure zone over the hills.

The monsoon, it added, was gradually getting weaker in the east and moving towards the west. PTI

Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!

Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
More Less
Published: 14 Aug 2017, 08:51 PM IST
Next Story footLogo
Recommended For You
Switch to the Mint app for fast and personalized news - Get App