Floods Kill 70 Across India, Nepal

Heavy rain and storms have triggered floods and landslides, killing 56 people in India and 14 in Nepal, with 11 still missing.

Nepalese authorities warned on Sunday that more flash floods were possible, with 49 of the country’s 77 districts facing potential flood risks.

India’s northern Uttar Pradesh state recorded 66.5 millimetres of rain between September 25 and the morning of September 27, far above the normal 7.6 millimetres for the period. The state’s relief commissioner, Hrishikesh Bhaskar Yashod, said authorities were carrying out rescue operations in flooded areas and distributing relief materials.

Officials have also been ordered to assess crop damage and compensate affected farmers.

At least 56 people have died in Uttar Pradesh, while 46 others have been injured and more than 1,000 houses damaged.

Meanwhile, Nepal has reported 14 deaths and 11 people missing after heavy rainfall triggered floods and landslides across several areas.

Shanti Mahat, a spokesperson for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, said more than half of the districts were facing high flood or flash-flood risks as river levels continued to rise. However, Mahat said Rasuwa and Nuwakot, which were badly affected by last month’s deadly floods, were not currently considered high-risk areas but should remain “alert”.

The floods last month killed more than 1,450 people in Nepal and left thousands still missing.

Power supplies have also been disrupted in Manang, Mustang, Myagdi and Baglung districts, with authorities working to restore electricity.

The Rahuganga River flooding damaged parts of a 40-megawatt hydropower project, including its structure and transmission-line towers. Water Resources and Energy Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha said the damage had affected the project’s infrastructure.

In India, the Central Water Commission said 30 river-monitoring stations across seven states had recorded a “severe situation”.

Several major rivers, including the Ganga, Gandak, Kosi, Bagmati and Narmada, have risen above danger levels.

Flooding and landslides have also disrupted telecommunications in parts of Nepal after damage to optical fibre networks and power supplies.