As weather cleared briefly Sunday, rescue teams reached cut-off areas, airlifting aid to Sankhuwasabha and Dhankuta. Volunteers retrieved bodies as aid agencies coordinated emergency relief and logistical support.

Days of relentless monsoon rain have unleashed devastating floods and landslides across eastern Nepal, killing dozens of people and leaving many more missing or displaced. Authorities have launched urgent rescue operations as forecasters warn of continuing heavy rainfall in the coming days.

According to Nepal’s Ministry of Home Affairs, at least 63 people have been confirmed dead and dozens remain missing after intense downpours triggered landslides and flash floods across several eastern districts including Ilam, Panchthar, Taplejung, Sankhuwasabha, and Dhankuta. The death toll is expected to rise as rescue teams struggle to reach isolated communities cut off by blocked roads and damaged bridges.

“The rain has been relentless, and the situation in several hill districts is critical,” said the home ministry spokesperson, Narayan Prasad Bhattarai. “Search and rescue teams are on the ground, but access remains a major challenge due to continued rainfall and blocked roads.”

The eastern hills have borne the brunt. In Ilam district, one of the worst-hit areas, multiple villages have been buried by landslides that struck in the early hours of Sunday morning. Local officials reported at least 18 deaths in Ilam alone. Rescuers are working through the debris to find survivors, though persistent rain has made the operation perilous.

Similar scenes unfolded in Panchthar and Taplejung, where swollen rivers overflowed their banks, sweeping away houses, livestock, and farmland. The Koshi and Arun rivers, swollen by days of rain, have inundated low-lying settlements and threatened embankments downstream.

Footage broadcast on Nepali television showed villagers wading through chest-deep waters carrying children and elderly relatives to safety. Entire stretches of the Mechi Highway and Mid-Hill Highway have been blocked by mudslides, isolating several towns from the rest of the country. Helicopters were deployed where possible to airlift the injured and deliver relief materials.

Infrastructure and Transport Hit Hard

Nepal’s Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has issued a high alert for flash floods and landslides across the eastern and central hill regions. “We have recorded rainfall exceeding 200 millimetres in 24 hours in parts of Province 1,” meteorologist Sarita Shrestha told media. “The system is expected to persist for at least another day, so we urge people in vulnerable areas to move to safer ground.”

Authorities have evacuated hundreds of families from flood-prone settlements near the banks of the Tamor and Kabeli rivers. Local schools and community halls have been converted into temporary shelters, though officials admit relief efforts are struggling to keep up with demand.

“We are short on tents, food, and medical supplies,” said Ilam’s chief district officer, Tek Bahadur Rai. “Some of the shelters are overcrowded, and many of those rescued have lost everything.”

The floods and landslides have severely disrupted transportation and power supply across eastern Nepal. Major highways connecting Kathmandu to Biratnagar and Dharan have been blocked at multiple points, and electricity lines have been damaged in several hill districts.

Air traffic to eastern regions has also been affected, with flights to Taplejung and Tumlingtar suspended due to poor visibility and slippery runways. Mobile and internet connectivity remain intermittent in rural areas, hampering communication between local authorities and emergency teams.

Road clearance operations are underway with support from the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force, and Nepal Police, though officials warn that continuing rainfall could trigger further landslides. The army has deployed excavators and bulldozers to reopen critical routes and restore access to isolated areas.

Regional Impacts and Cross-Border Concerns

Heavy rains have also affected northeastern India, particularly the Darjeeling and Sikkim regions bordering Nepal, where landslides have blocked highways and displaced hundreds. West Bengal has been affected by the release of water from the Tala Dam in Bhutan. Authorities have issued flood alerts in parts of Bihar and West Bengal, where rivers fed by Nepal’s runoff are swelling rapidly.

The Koshi Barrage, a key flood-control structure shared between Nepal and India, is being closely monitored. Officials from both sides have been coordinating to regulate water flow and prevent breaches downstream.

Nepal, one of the world’s most disaster-prone mountain nations, faces deadly floods and landslides each monsoon season. Environmental experts say deforestation, unplanned road construction, and climate change are amplifying the scale of destruction.

“This is becoming a yearly tragedy,” said climatologist Dr. Nirmal Koirala of Tribhuvan University. “Rains are becoming more intense and unpredictable due to climate change, while fragile mountain slopes are weakened by haphazard development. Without better land management and early-warning systems, such disasters will continue to claim lives.”

In 2023 and 2024, monsoon-related disasters killed more than 250 people across Nepal. This year’s toll is already rising sharply as the monsoon season extends longer than usual.

Rescue Efforts Continue

As skies briefly cleared on Sunday afternoon, rescue teams managed to reach several previously cut-off areas. Helicopters ferried food packets, drinking water, and medicines to remote villages in Sankhuwasabha and Dhankuta, while local volunteers helped retrieve bodies and assist the injured.

International aid agencies have also mobilised emergency response teams and are coordinating with local authorities. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said it is monitoring the situation and is ready to provide logistical support if needed.

Meteorologists have warned that the monsoon system may linger over eastern Nepal for another 48 hours. “The risk of further landslides remains extremely high,” said Shrestha. “Residents should remain vigilant and avoid riverbanks and unstable slopes.”

For now, as rescue teams battle time and terrain, survivors cling to hope. “The rain took everything – our home, our cattle, our fields,” said 45-year-old farmer Mina Rai from Ilam. “All we can do is pray it stops.”