170 people dead, 42 others still missing after the floods in Nepal. More than 3,000 people have been rescued, reports AFP, citing the Ministry of the Interior, reports News.bg.
Heavy rains have been lashing Kathmandu since Friday, September 27, with rainfall expected to continue into the weekend. Just two days earlier, the victims were 32.
Several highways have been blocked, isolating Kathmandu from the rest of the country. They were cleared with bulldozers.
The Ministry of Hydrology and Meteorology said preliminary data from weather stations in 14 districts showed a record amount of rain in the 24 hours to Saturday morning, the heaviest since 2002.
It is recalled that the government has issued flood warnings across the country. A ban on night bus travel on highways has been imposed and security forces have been put on high alert. Landslides and floods have also been reported in other parts of Nepal.
The monsoon season, which usually brings heavy rainfall, begins in June and ends by mid-September.