Nepal floods: 66 dead, 69 missing after heavy rain; 226 homes submerged | World News

At least 66 people have lost their lives and over 60 injured in floods and landslides due to heavy rain across Nepal. 

Nepal home ministry spokesperson Dil Kumar Tamang told Reuters that the death toll could rise, with another 69 people reported missing, and 60 injured since Friday morning.

Nepal Police deputy spokesperson Bishwo Adhikari told PTI that out of 66 people killed, 34 deaths were in the Kathmandu valley, home to 4 million people. 

The Nepal Police official said highways have been blocked in 63 locations across the Himalayan nation. Most rivers in the Himalayan nation have swollen, spilling over roads and bridges, authorities said.

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Nepal acting PM calls emergency meet

According to the PTI report, acting prime minister Prakash Man Singh called an emergency meeting involving various ministers, including the Home Minister, Home Secretary, and chiefs of security agencies.

The government has ordered the closure of all schools across Nepal for three days and the halting of all ongoing exams.

Nepal’s capital Kathmandu was out of power the entire day as the main transmission line was obstructed due to the floods, but power resumed in the evening. All entry points to Kathmandu have also been obstructed due to landslides triggered by rains.

Police reported that 226 houses have been submerged in Kathmandu, and a rescue team of around 3,000 security personnel has been deployed from the Nepal Police in the affected areas, the report added. 

“The government’s priority right now is to rescue the people and help those who have been affected,” Nepal home minister Ramesh Lekhak told AP. 

Buses were banned from traveling at night on highways and cars were discouraged. Security forces were ordered to high alert, AP reported.

Hundreds of people die in the monsoon season every year in the landslides and flash floods common in the mountainous nation, a Reuters report stated.