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Nepal Floods and Landslides Leave at Least 66 Dead, 69 Still Missing

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At least 66 people have been killed and 69 remain missing in Nepal following continuous heavy downpours that triggered widespread flooding and landslides, officials said on Saturday. The torrential rains, which began early Friday, have also left 60 people injured and disrupted daily life, particularly in the Kathmandu Valley, home to four million residents.

The flooding has brought the capital to a standstill, with major roads blocked and domestic air travel disrupted. Rescue teams, using helicopters and rubber boats, have been working to evacuate those stranded on rooftops and high ground. Some areas of Kathmandu reported receiving up to 322.2 millimeters of rain in the past 24 hours, according to home ministry official Dil Kumar Tamang.

The country’s rivers have swollen, overflowing onto roads and bridges. Landslides have blocked highways at 28 locations, according to police spokesperson Dan Bahadur Karki, as police work to clear debris and restore access.

Weather officials attribute the extended heavy rains to a delayed retreat of South Asia’s annual monsoon, exacerbated by a low-pressure system over parts of neighboring India. The rains are expected to continue until Sunday morning, after which weather conditions should improve.

Though international flights remain operational, domestic flights have been heavily disrupted. The Koshi River in southeastern Nepal, which regularly causes floods in India’s Bihar state, is currently running at dangerously high levels.

Since the monsoon season began in mid-June, at least 254 people have died and 65 remain missing in Nepal due to landslides, floods, and lightning strikes, authorities reported.

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