A tragic surge in natural disaster-related incidents has claimed 40 lives and left 11 individuals missing across Nepal over the past two days. The Armed Police Force (APF) Nepal reported that, in addition to the fatalities and disappearances, 13 people were injured in events including floods, landslides, lightning strikes, and vehicle accidents.
Ilam Suffers Heaviest Casualties
The eastern district of Ilam has borne the brunt of the devastation, with floods and landslides alone causing 28 deaths and severely injuring two people. The APF provided a grim breakdown of the fatalities within the district:
- Ilam Municipality: Six deaths
- Suryodaya Municipality: Five deaths
- Maijogmai Rural Municipality: Eight deaths
- Sandakpur Rural Municipality: Three deaths
- Deumai Municipality: Two deaths
- Phakphokthum Rural Municipality: One death
- Mangsebung Rural Municipality: Three deaths
APF Assistant Spokesperson Shailendra Thapa confirmed these figures, highlighting the catastrophic and widespread impact of the rainfall and subsequent landslides in the hilly region of Ilam.
Additional Fatalities and Injuries Across the Country
Beyond Ilam, other districts have also reported casualties due to the severe weather conditions:
- Udayapur: Two deaths due to floods and landslides.
- Rautahat: Three deaths due to floods and landslides.
- Rasuwa: Four deaths due to floods and landslides.
- Kathmandu: One death reported.
In addition to the damage caused by heavy rain, separate incidents compounded the disaster toll:
- Lightning Strikes: Eight individuals sustained injuries from lightning strikes in the districts of Khotang, Bhojpur, Rautahat, and Makwanpur.
- Vehicle Accident: A tragic vehicle accident in Panchthar district resulted in six deaths and left six others injured, further adding to the grim statistics from the past 48 hours.
The sheer volume of simultaneous disasters underscores the fragile geographical nature of Nepal and the urgent need for enhanced disaster preparedness and rapid response mechanisms across both urban centers and remote rural areas. Rescue and relief operations are currently underway, with local authorities and security forces working to locate the missing and provide immediate aid to the affected populations.
This report is based on information provided by the Armed Police Force, Nepal, detailing the immediate aftermath of the recent spate of natural disaster incidents.