1 dead, 25 missing as heavy rains lash east Nepal

KATHMANDU - One person was killed and at least 25 others were missing in flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy rain that battered east Nepal, officials said on Sunday, the first known fatality since the annual rains began last week.

Heavy downpours washed away a hydroelectric project under construction on the Hewa River in Sankhuwasabha district in eastern Nepal where 16 workers have gone missing, said Mr Bimal Paudel, a government official.

“One body has been recovered while police are searching for the missing labourers,” he said.

Nine people were also missing in flash floods and landslides in neighbouring Taplejung and Panchthar districts, bordering India in the east, officials said.

Mr Gaurav Dhakal of the Panchthar district said overnight rain damaged two bridges on the Mechi highway, cutting off the road link to remote Taplejung district where four people were missing.

Officials said the rain prevented rescuers from reaching the hilly Sidingwa village where at least 20 houses were at risk of being washed away.

The annual downpours, which are crucial for crops, normally begin in mid-June and continue till September in Nepal.

Hundreds are killed or go missing as heavy rain triggers floods that inundate villages and crops as well as damage infrastructure every year in mostly mountainous Nepal, which is nestled between China and India. REUTERS