Floods and landslides in Nepal and India claim numerous lives

Floods and landslides caused by heavy monsoon rains have killed at least 34 people in Nepal in recent days.

At least 15 people were injured and eleven were still missing, said a spokeswoman for the Nepalese civil protection agency. Hundreds of houses as well as stables and farmland were partially or completely damaged, it said. In total, almost 1,200 families are affected.

There were even more deaths as a result of the monsoon depression in neighboring India: According to authorities, more than 80 people died in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh alone.

In Kanchanpur district of western Nepal, one of the country's largest suspension bridges was damaged due to flooding from the Mahakali River. The bridge, which is popular with tourists, is now closed, the district's head of administration told the German Press Agency. However, it is assumed that it can be repaired.

Trekking routes affected

Heavy rain and snowfall had affected roads and trekking routes in Nepal in the past few days. Authorities temporarily suspended trekking and climbing activities on several mountains. According to the Nepal Meteorological Department, the late monsoon rain was triggered by a low pressure area over the Bay of Bengal. The weather has now improved across the country.

According to the Nepal National Mountain Guide Association (NNMGA), the search has been suspended for 12 people missing since an avalanche struck Himlung Himal base camp near the border with Tibet on Sunday. Four people have so far been rescued dead from the snow. Authorities also attributed this incident to the monsoon depression.

Nepal prone to natural disasters

Nepal is particularly vulnerable to natural disasters due to its mountainous landscape and large rivers. At the end of August, around 1,450 people were killed in a devastating flash flood in the Himalayas, and more than 5,500 are still missing. The trigger is considered to be the break-off of large amounts of glacier ice and rock.