India-Nepal Floods: Heavy rain kills 70 as authorities warn of more flooding

At least 56 people have died in India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh after heavy rain triggered flooding and landslides, while 14 people have been killed and 11 remain missing in neighbouring Nepal.

Uttar Pradesh received 66.5mm of rain between September 25 and the morning of September 27, compared with a normal 7.6mm for the period, state relief commissioner Hrishikesh Bhaskar Yashod said on Sunday.

Authorities have launched rescue operations in flooded areas and are distributing relief supplies. Officials have also been instructed to assess damage to crops and provide compensation to affected farmers.

In addition to the 56 deaths, 46 people have been injured and more than 1,000 houses have been damaged in Uttar Pradesh.

In Nepal, authorities warned that flash floods could occur in 49 of the country’s 77 districts. More than half of the districts were facing a high risk of flooding or flash floods as water levels in major rivers and tributaries continued to rise.

Shanti Mahat, a spokesperson for Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, said residents of Rasuwa and Nuwakot should remain alert. Both districts were badly affected by deadly floods last month that killed more than 1,450 people and left thousands missing.

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However, Mr Mahat said the two districts were not currently classified as high-risk areas.

Flooding and landslides have also disrupted essential infrastructure across Nepal. Power supplies have been completely cut in Manang, Mustang, Myagdi and Baglung districts, with authorities working to restore electricity.

Water Resources and Energy Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha said flooding of the Rahuganga River had damaged the structure and transmission-line towers of a 40-megawatt hydropower project.

Telecommunications have also been affected in parts of Nepal after floods and landslides damaged optical-fibre networks and power supplies, Communications Minister Bikram Timilsinha said.

Meanwhile, India’s Central Water Commission said 30 river-monitoring stations across seven states were reporting a “severe situation”.

Several major rivers, including the Ganga, Gandak, Kosi, Bagmati and Narmada, were flowing above danger levels.

In a separate incident in Nepal, 10 local workers remain missing after an avalanche buried the base camp of Himlung Himal in northern Manang district.

The 7,126-metre mountain is a popular destination for foreign climbers. Officials said the missing workers had been preparing tents for climbers, who were not at the camp when the avalanche struck.

Authorities in both countries continue to carry out rescue and relief operations as heavy rain and rising river levels increase the risk of further flooding and landslides.