Kathmandu: Nepal closed its schools for three days after deadly landslides and floods that killed 170 people after two days of torrential rains saturated the entire country. At least 42 people are left missing and rescue operations are still ongoing, according to reports.
Heavier rains caused havoc in the Kathmandu valley in Nepal, disrupting traffic and daily life over the weekend. While flights were cancelled right at the start, domestic air services resumed on Sunday in and out of Kathmandu, though about 150 departures were cancelled.
The Home Ministry of Nepal confirmed the death toll, with a significant portion of casualties occurring when a landslide struck three vehicles on a highway south of Kathmandu, burying passengers alive. Emergency personnel, armed with picks and shovels, retrieved 16 bodies from buses swept away by the landslide.
The rainfall in some areas of Kathmandu had reached 322.2mm (12.7 inches), pushing water in the Bagmati River to 2.2 meters above the danger mark. Residents are beginning to return to their homes today as the rain subsided by Sunday morning, but for most families, a new challenge awaits: mud and debris in homes.
Education authorities announced the closure of schools for three days with the intention of ascertaining safety for students since some educative buildings had been affected by the earthquake. The Ministry of Education communication officer Lakshmi Bhattarai said that the schools in the affected areas have been instructed to remain closed to ensure the safety of students and allow the repairing of buildings.
The situation is closely watched as rescue efforts are ongoing alongside measures by the authorities to determine who are missing and return to normalcy conditions in the affected areas.
