Rescue teams in Nepal and India are racing to provide urgent assistance following heavy rainfall that triggered landslides and floods, resulting in over 70 fatalities, as reported by officials. The incessant rains, commencing on October 3, have subsided, yet rescue operations are hindered by blocked roads and destroyed bridges, making it challenging to reach isolated areas.
The annual monsoon season, typically occurring from June to September, inflicts widespread devastation in South Asia. However, the frequency of deadly floods and landslides has been on the rise in recent years. Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority disclosed that 46 individuals have perished in rain-related incidents, with six individuals still unaccounted for.
Security forces have mobilized helicopters and motorboats to support the rescue operations, while several highways that were closed over the weekend due to the calamity have started to reopen gradually to facilitate the movement of stranded travelers. In neighboring eastern India, at least 28 people lost their lives in the storms, with rescue teams encountering difficulties in reaching the severely impacted areas in the Himalayan region.
The tea-producing hills of Darjeeling in West Bengal bore the brunt of the disaster. West Bengal state police official Praween Prakash confirmed the destruction of over 100 houses and reported landslides in 35 locations in the Darjeeling hills, resulting in 28 fatalities.