© Ramesh Kumar Paudel/RepublicMen, women and children at a squatter settlement in Gaidakot, Nawalparasi wade through floodwaters from the Narayani River that inundated their homes Tuesday. The water level in the river reached 10.24 meters in the evening.
Landslides and floods triggered by incessant rainfall have left 15 dead in Pyuthan district, seven in Gulmi, four in Palpa, three in Makwanpur, two in Udaypur, three in Baglung, one in Banke and two in Rupandehi. Hundreds of families have been displaced in various parts of the country.
Monsoon-triggered floods and landslides in Pyuthan claimed at least 15 lives. And at least 23 others in the district have gone missing. Over 200 households are at high risk of being swept away by flooding and landslides.
Among the deceased, five are from Lung VDC, two from Puja, and two others from Khawang. Shova Rijal and Kali Pariyar of Lung-6 were buried in landslide. Prem Thapa, 11, Ranjana KC, 40, and Sushila KC, 12, of Bahane Bajar were buried by landslide and later pronounced dead.
Comment: Aside from the humanitarian and environmental toll, and growing public outrage over the official handling of this latest flooding in China, provincial authorities stated recently that direct economic losses amounted to 16.3 billion yuan (2.5 billion U.S. dollars).