Death Toll from Recent Rain-Triggered Disasters Rises to 46: NDRRMA

The death toll from recent rain-induced disasters has climbed to 46, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA). At least six people remain missing, and 24 others have been injured, the authority said in its update on Monday afternoon, October 6.

Eighteen of the injured were airlifted by the Nepali Army, including a pregnant woman rescued from Patigaun in Maangsebung Rural Municipality-1, Ilam, and 16 people evacuated from flooded areas in Jhapa.

Ilam Suffers Heaviest Losses

Ilam district in eastern Nepal has reported 37 deaths caused by landslides. Three people died from lightning strikes in Rautahat, while two drowned in Udayapur. Khotang, Panchthar, and Kavrepalanchok each reported two fatalities in landslides, and one person died in a flood in Morang.

Among the six missing, four were swept away by floods in Rasuwa, one was buried by a landslide, and another was lost to a flood in Ilam.

Injuries Across Several Districts

Ten people were injured in landslides in Ilam, three each by lightning in Khotang and Bhojpur, two in landslides in Lalitpur, and one in a landslide in Panchthar. Dhankuta reported one person injured due to continuous rain and another by lightning, while single cases of lightning-related injuries were recorded in Makwanpur, Udayapur, and Taplejung.

Rainfall and Ongoing Risks

Heavy to very heavy rainfall from Friday evening, October 3, to late Saturday night triggered widespread landslides and floods that damaged homes and disrupted transport networks across central and eastern Nepal.

While rainfall eased on Sunday in the Kathmandu Valley and western Madhes Province, eastern Nepal continued to receive rain until late evening.

According to the Meteorological Forecasting Division, although this year’s monsoon has already withdrawn from Nepal’s western region – Sudurpaschim, Karnali and western part of Lumbini provinces – as of October 6, the influence of the westerly wind is expected to bring moderate rainfall today and tomorrow, particularly in parts of Karnali and Sudurpaschim. Light snowfall is also likely in a few high-altitude areas of these regions.