Residents of Nepal’s flood-hit capital returned to their mud-caked homes on Sunday, dealing with the aftermath of devastating floods that have claimed at least 170 lives across the country as per AFP news agency. As monsoon rains battered the Himalayan republic, flash floods and landslides demolished entire neighbourhoods in Kathmandu, injuring several and displacing thousands.
Kumar Tamang, a 40-year-old resident of a slum area near a riverbank, described the scene. “This morning we returned and everything looks different,” he said. “We couldn’t even open the doors to our house; it was jammed with mud. Yesterday we were afraid that the water would kill us, but today we have no water to clean.”
Nepal’s Home Ministry reported 170 confirmed fatalities, with an additional 42 individuals still missing. Ministry spokesman Rishi Ram Tiwari claimed that over 3,000 people have been rescued as rescue teams worked tirelessly to clear blocked highways and restore access to the capital.
At least 35 of the deceased were killed when a landslide buried three vehicles on a highway south of Kathmandu. The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology reported record rainfall, with one station at Kathmandu airport recording about 240 millimetres (9.4 inches) of rain—the highest since 2002.
The Bagmati River and its tributaries overflowed, submerging homes and vehicles as residents battled their way through chest-deep water in search of higher ground. A local resident, Bishnu Maya Shrestha, said, “We jumped from one roof to another to safety and finally they came with boats to rescue us.”
Over 3,000 security personnel were deployed, using helicopters and motorboats to assist in rescue operations amid the disaster. Humanitarian organisations joined the effort, providing supplies and setting up evacuation centres.
By Sunday morning, domestic flights had resumed in and out of Kathmandu after weather-related disruptions led to the cancellation of more than 150 departures. Summer monsoons in Nepal have already claimed over 260 lives.