Rescuers in Nepal have recovered dozens of bodies from buses and other vehicles buried in landslides near the capital, Kathmandu, as the death toll from flooding and landslides has risen to at least 148, with dozens more missing, officials said on Sunday.
The weather improved after three days of relentless monsoon rains, and rescue and cleanup operations were in full swing. Kathmandu remained cut off from the rest of the country, as landslides blocked all three highways leading out of the city. The devastation has left the capital isolated and struggling to cope with the aftermath.
In a tragic discovery, rescuers retrieved 14 bodies overnight from two buses that were en route to Kathmandu when they were buried by a massive landslide. Another 23 bodies were found in vehicles on Sunday at the same location, about 16 kilometers (10 miles) from the city, as workers continued to search for others who may have been buried beneath the rubble.
A statement from Nepal police confirmed that 101 people had been injured in the widespread flooding and landslides, with at least 50 others still missing. The death toll is expected to rise further as reports come in from remote villages scattered across the mountainous country, many of which are still inaccessible due to blocked roads and collapsed infrastructure.
In the southern part of Kathmandu, residents began the daunting task of cleaning up after Saturday’s deluge, as water levels slowly receded. The city, which was hit hardest by the flooding, has seen at least 34 people lose their lives.
Across the region, police, soldiers, and emergency personnel are working tirelessly to assist with rescue efforts. Heavy equipment is being deployed to clear landslides from the blocked roads in a bid to reconnect the capital with the rest of the country. Meanwhile, the Nepalese government has announced the closure of schools and colleges nationwide for the next three days, in response to the ongoing crisis.
The monsoon season, which began in June, typically lasts until mid-September, but this year’s torrential rains have already caused widespread destruction, displacing thousands of people and leaving a trail of devastation in their wake.
The people of Nepal, already facing a daunting recovery effort, now wait anxiously as search and rescue operations continue, hoping that more lives can still be saved.
