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Heavy monsoon rains, flooding kill 58 people in Nepal

Wednesday, 27 July 2016 1:03 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 27 July 2016 1:03 PM ]

In this handout photograph released by the Nepalese army on July 27, 2016, and taken on July 26, Nepalese army personnel rescue flood victims at Nawalparasi, southwest of the capital Kathmandu. (AFP)

Heavy monsoon rains and subsequent flooding and landslides have left at least 58 people dead in Nepal, the government says.

Jhanka Nath Dhakal, deputy spokesman for Nepal’s Home Ministry, said Wednesday that 20 people have also gone missing.

"Our teams are working continuously in search and rescue operations, as well as to provide relief," the official stated.

Hundreds of people are stranded in submerged villages. Photos released by the army show villagers awaiting evacuation on rooftops.

Each year from about April to October, monsoon causes floods with widespread destruction in Nepal, India and other southern Asian countries.

Heavy rains claimed the lives of two children earlier this month when a school in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu was partially damaged.

Nepal is not only prone to monsoon but also earthquakes. Millions of people are still living in makeshift shelters following a devastating quake that hit the country in 2015 killing nearly 9,000 people.

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