KATHMANDU, July 31: Heavy rainfall on Tuesday night caused widespread flooding in Kathmandu Valley, disrupting daily life and inundating several areas. The rain also triggered landslides in various parts of the country, halting transportation services. One person died in Kathmandu’s Balkhu area, and two others were swept away by a river in eastern Nepal.

Nepal Police Spokesperson Dan Bahadur Karki reported that 12 individuals from Kathmandu district and 24 from Lalitpur district were rescued from flood-induced disasters. Among those rescued were 11 people from the Balkhu and Kuleshwor areas and one from New Buspark.

According to the state-owned RSS, riverbank areas in the city, including Balkhu, Bafal, the Dhobikhola corridor, and Sundarighat, experienced significant waterlogging due to inundation.

In addition, a house was damaged by a landslide in Nagpokhari, Phutung in the northern outskirts of Kathmandu.

In Lalitpur district, 24 people were rescued, including two from UN Park, eight from Sundarighat, one from Balkumari, seven from Chagathali, and six from Mandir.

The Weather Forecasting Division on Monday had warned of heavy rainfall in various parts of the country for the next three days ie until Wednesday.

Man Dies in Balkhukhola Flood

A man lost his life in the Balkhukhola flood on Tuesday night. Police identified the deceased as 45-year-old Ram Swarup Mahato, whose body was recovered from the river near Balkhu in the capital city. Mahato was residing in the squatter settlement in Balkhu area, according to Dinesh Raj Mainali, Spokesperson of the Kathmandu Valley Police Office.

The heavy rainfall also caused flooding in the Bagmati River and its tributaries, including Hanumante, Manohara, Dhobikhola, Godawari, Bishnumati, and Balkhu, leading to the inundation of several settlements along the riverbanks in the Kathmandu Valley, RSS added.

Flood Sweeps Away Two Workers of Hydropower Project in Bhojpur

Two workers from an under-construction hydropower project in Bhojpur district went missing in a flood triggered by heavy rain on Tuesday night.

Chief of the District Police Office, Yubaraj Timsina, reported that 26-year-old Shyam Kumar Tharu and 30-year-old Ramesh Tharu, both from Barabardiya Rural Municipality-3 in Bardiya district, were swept away by the flood at the Ikhuwa Hydropower Project site in Salpasilichho Rural Municipality.

Another worker, Ram Kisan Tharu, 26, was rescued and is receiving treatment at Kulung Health Post. Police are continuing the search for the missing workers.

Sanfe-Martadi Highway Obstructed

The Sanfe-Martadi highway has been blocked by a landslide triggered by incessant rainfall in the Nunepani area of Badimalika Municipality-6. Police Inspector Rabindra Singh Karki stated that efforts are underway to clear the debris, with technical teams and equipment deployed from the Sanfe Road Division Office.

Due to the obstruction, long and short-distance vehicles, including cargo transport, have been stranded. The Martadi-Kolti road, which connects the northeastern part of the district, has also been closed to traffic for a month due to floods in the Bauli and Anai rivers, as well as a landslide in Jili area of Badimalika Municipality.

Bensisahar-Chame Road Obstructed

A landslide occurred at Kharkhare cliff in Bensisahar Municipality-6 of Lamjung district on Wednesday morning, causing obstruction to vehicular movement along the Bensisahar-Chame road section, according to the District Police Office. The landslide was triggered by heavy rainfall in the district since Tuesday night.

According to RSS, Inspector Thaneshwor Chapain mentioned that the Kharkhare area is prone to landslides, and the obstruction has affected travelers to and from Manang and the northern belt of Lamjung. -- RSS