Nepal shuts schools as floods and landslides kill more than 150
The death toll from flooding and landslides caused by heavy rains in Nepal has reached at least 151, with dozens of people still missing, officials said Sunday, warning that the toll was expected to rise further as reports come in from villages across the mountainous country.
Nepal has shut schools for three days after landslides and floods triggered by two days of heavy rain across the Himalayan nation killed 151 people, with 56 missing, officials said on Sunday.
The floods brought traffic and normal activity to a standstill in the Kathmandu valley, where 37 deaths were recorded in a region home to 4 million people and the capital.
Authorities said students and their parents faced difficulties as university and school buildings damaged by the rains needed repair.
"We have urged the concerned authorities to close schools in the affected areas for three days," Lakshmi Bhattarai, a spokesperson for the education ministry, told Reuters.
Some parts of the capital reported rain of up to 322.2 mm (12.7 inches), pushing the level of its main Bagmati river up 2.2 m (7 ft) past the danger mark, experts said.
But there were some signs of respite on Sunday morning, with the rains easing in many places, said Govinda Jha, a weather forecaster in the capital.
"There may be some isolated showers, but heavy rains are unlikely," he said.
"I’ve never before seen flooding on this scale in Kathmandu," said Arun Bhakta Shrestha, an environmental risk official at the centre.
(Reuters)
Read more on FRANCE 24 English
Read also:
Nepal scrambles to rescue survivors of quake that killed more than 100
Himalayan glaciers melting faster than ever, endangering critical water source, scientists warn
Pregnant women face high risk of mortality in rural Nepal
