Landslides and Deluge Block Roads as Rescue Efforts Intensify
Torrential monsoon rains have unleashed devastating landslides and flash floods across eastern Nepal, killing at least 47 people and leaving dozens missing. The hardest hit area is Ilam district, near the border with India, where entire villages were swept away.
Bridges have collapsed and major highways are impassable, isolating many remote communities. In Kathmandu, rivers overflowed their banks, flooding low-lying neighborhoods. Authorities opened all 56 sluice gates of the Koshi Barrage to reduce pressure on the dam, but vehicular traffic over the barrage has been suspended for safety.
Search and rescue teams, including the Nepal Army and air force, are racing to evacuate residents and deliver relief materials. The government has declared a national holiday through Monday and appealed for international aid. India has responded by pledging immediate assistance to its neighbor in this crisis.
For Nepali media, the story is one of natural disaster and emergency response. For regional and Indian platforms, it underscores cross-border humanitarian cooperation and shared vulnerability to monsoon extremes.
