Over the weekend, Nepal experienced devastating flash floods that claimed the lives of more than 200 people, in what experts are calling one of the most severe flooding incidents to hit the capital, Kathmandu, and its surrounding valleys.
Large parts of Kathmandu were submerged after the city witnessed its heaviest monsoon rainfall in 20 years on Friday and Saturday, sweeping away entire neighborhoods, bridges, and roads. The Bagmati River, which flows through the city, rose over 2 meters above its safe limit due to the torrential rains.
By Monday afternoon, officials confirmed the recovery of 204 bodies, while at least 30 others were still missing or stranded. Hundreds more sustained injuries. Many victims were passengers on buses swept away by the surging floodwaters when highways were overrun.
The Nepalese army reported that over 4,000 people were rescued using helicopters, motorboats, and rafts. Search teams continued to dig through thick mud and rubble, while others used ziplines to reach people stranded in isolated areas.
The mountain city of Pokhara, a popular tourist destination, was also severely impacted by the flooding. In the aftermath, thousands were displaced, and many were left without electricity or clean drinking water. The damage was so extensive that all major routes out of Kathmandu were blocked, and schools in the capital were ordered closed for three days.
Officials and experts attributed the disaster to the climate crisis, which has been causing more intense and unpredictable rainfall, resulting in deadly floods across South Asian nations like Nepal. Although the monsoon season is nearing its end, the weekend’s extreme rainfall was driven by abnormal monsoon patterns.
This year alone, over 300 people in Nepal have died in rain-related incidents. Recent studies indicate that the frequency of severe flooding is expected to rise in the coming years, as the Himalayan country is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts.
Arun Bhakta Shrestha, an expert on environmental risks at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), stated that he had “never seen flooding on this scale in Kathmandu before.”
ICIMOD highlighted that the impact of the disaster was exacerbated by unplanned urban development along floodplains and unauthorized construction without proper drainage systems along the Bagmati River. The organization called for the restoration of wetlands in flood-prone areas to mitigate future risks.
