Mountain collapses into river as Nepal floods and landslides kill 24
A section of a mountain collapsed into the Kali Gandaki River in Nepal’s Mustang district following days of heavy rain. The rain triggered floods and landslides across the country. Video from the area shows the slope giving way within seconds as people nearby shout and move away.
At least 24 people have died and 14 remain missing across several districts, India Today reported on Monday. The report said the rain damaged homes, roads, bridges and power infrastructure in Manang, Myagdi, Baglung, Parbat and Palpa districts.
Ten deaths were reported in Baglung, six in Myagdi and two in Manang, according to the report. Five people died in Palpa, while another person was killed in a landslide in Dhanusha district.
Police said 10 people were missing in Manang, three in Myagdi and one in Baglung. Four people were reported injured, including two in Lamjung and one each in Baglung and Myagdi.
India Today, citing Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, reported that the Kali Gandaki River caused the most extensive damage. Flooding and erosion were also reported along the Narayani and Tinau rivers.
The floods and landslides directly affected 747 families, according to the report. Around 1,500 people from 435 households were displaced in Gandaki province, while hundreds of houses were damaged or remained at risk.
A concrete bridge linking Syangja and Gulmi was swept away after the Kali Gandaki River rose. Authorities opened all three gates of the Mirmi dam and stopped generation at the 144 MW Kali Gandaki A hydropower project.
Flooding also damaged transmission towers and disrupted electricity generation at several hydropower projects. India Today reported that problems on the Kali Gandaki Corridor and Kushma-New Butwal transmission lines affected 358.2 MW of generation.
The disaster followed several days of heavy rain across Nepal. An earlier PTI report on Sunday placed the nationwide toll at 21 and said security personnel had rescued 1,284 people during 439 monsoon-related incidents over five days.
PTI also reported that the Tinau, Narayani and Riu rivers had crossed danger levels in some areas. Authorities urged residents in flood-prone and landslide-prone locations to remain alert as rainfall continued.
Two mountaineers were also killed in an avalanche at Himlung Himal in Manang on Sunday. India Today reported that bad weather had hampered the search for other members of the expedition.
(With inputs from PTI)
