Floods and landslides result in 56 fatalities in India and 12 in Nepal

Authorities report an increasing death toll over three days as rivers rise above danger levels across parts of neighbouring countries. Heavy rainfall has triggered floods and landslides that have killed at least 56 people in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh in recent days, while 12 people have been reported dead in neighbouring Nepal. Hrishikesh Bhaskar Yashod, Uttar Pradesh’s relief commissioner, stated on Sunday that India’s most populous state had registered 66.5mm (2.6 inches) of rain from Friday to Sunday morning, compared with a normal 7.6mm (a quarter of an inch) for the period. The deaths, in addition to 46 injuries, were reported during a spell of exceptionally heavy rain that has affected much of Uttar Pradesh, according to the commissioner’s office. More than 1,000 houses were damaged after a depression over the Bay of Bengal moved inland and intensified rainfall across the region. Home to more than 240 million people, Uttar Pradesh is frequently hit by rain and thunderstorms during the annual monsoon season from June to September. In India’s eastern state of Odisha, more than 70,000 people living in low-lying areas were evacuated after rivers rose due to heavy downpours, the NDTV news network reported. The rains have damaged bridges and culverts, forcing officials to shut down Devkund, a popular tourist spot in the state. Separately, India’s Central Water Commission stated that 30 river-monitoring stations across seven states were in a severe situation. Major rivers that flow through India, including the Ganga, Gandak, Kosi, Bagmati, and Narmada, had risen above danger levels. In Nepal, where a devastating flood in late August killed more than 1,400 people and left thousands missing, a new wave of flooding and landslides has killed at least 12 people since Thursday, according to officials, with several others missing. Authorities warned of possible flash floods in 49 of the country’s 77 districts, with more than half facing high flooding or flash-flooding risks as water levels in major rivers and tributaries continued to rise. Power supplies have been disrupted in the Manang, Mustang, Myagdi, and Baglung districts, with authorities working to restore electricity, officials at the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation said. Flooding of the Rahuganga River damaged the structure and transmission-line towers of a 40-megawatt hydropower project, Water Resources and Energy Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha said. Shanti Mahat, a spokesperson for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, stated that Rasuwa and Nuwakot, areas hit by last month’s deadly floods, should remain alert but were not currently considered high-risk areas.