At least 22 people have died and 12 remain missing after landslides, flooding, and a lightning strike hit several parts of Nepal over the weekend, officials confirmed on Sunday.
According to police spokesman Binod Ghimire, multiple villages in Illam District, located in eastern Nepal, were wiped out by devastating landslides following days of heavy rain. At least 18 people were confirmed dead in Illam alone, while seven others remain unaccounted for.
Illam’s assistant administrative officer, Bholanath Guragai, said six members of the same family were killed in their sleep after a landslide crashed into their home overnight.
Rescue operations have been hampered by continuous rainfall, with several mountain roads washed away or blocked by debris. Guragai said helicopters from the central government were urgently needed to reach stranded villagers and evacuate the injured.
Elsewhere, three people were killed by lightning in a neighboring district, while one person died from flooding in southern Nepal, bringing the total death toll to 22. Authorities said 114 people had been rescued from affected areas as of Sunday.
Images from Kathmandu, the capital city, showed police and municipal workers clearing mud and debris from riverside roads after the Bagmati River overflowed its banks.
Several neighborhoods near the river were flooded, though no major casualties were reported.
The Nepal government has issued a severe rainfall warning for the eastern and central regions, urging residents to remain indoors.
Heavy rains also forced the closure of major highways linking Kathmandu with other parts of the country.
All domestic flights were suspended on Saturday due to poor visibility but resumed partially on Sunday as weather conditions improved.
The flooding coincides with the Dashain festival, Nepal’s biggest annual celebration, when millions travel to their home villages.
Many travelers returning to Kathmandu faced gridlocked highways and canceled journeys after landslides cut off key routes.
Officials declared a national holiday until Monday as rescue teams and soldiers continued to clear blocked roads and assist victims.
Last year, similar monsoon-triggered disasters killed 224 people and injured 158 across the country, underscoring Nepal’s growing vulnerability to extreme weather events.
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