The search for the missing and the recovery of the deceased continued in Nepal on Tuesday, following the devastating floods and landslides that claimed more than 200 lives over the weekend.
The death toll has risen to 224, with 158 injured and 24 others still unaccounted for as rescue efforts continue, according to Eak Narayan Aryal, the government’s chief secretary.Aryal also said that the flooding had damaged 16 hydroelectric power plants, resulting in decrease in Nepal’s electricity production, while additional 18 projects under construction were also affected.
The disaster struck Himalayan nation just before Dasain, the country’s most significant festival, which starts on Thursday.
Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli‘s government has faced severe criticism for its slow response to the crisis, especially after a landslide hit several vehicles stranded for hours just 16 kilometers (10 miles) from the capital, Kathmandu, resulting in the deaths of approximately three dozen people.
Oli said that the government would continue to look for those missing and help the thousands impacted. “We were prepared for a disaster but could not predict it would be of this big scale,” he said.
As weather improved slightly, workers began clearing the highways that had been blocked by landslides. However, sections of several other highways adjacent to raging rivers were washed away, and repairs are expected to be time-consuming and challenging. Only nine out of the 37 damaged highways have been reopened for traffic so far.
The flooding was caused by heavy rain that arrived at the end of Nepal’s monsoon season, which typically begins in June and ends by mid-September.