Floods, landslides kill 58 in Nepal

At least 58 people have died in floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains in Nepal, the government said yesterday.

Another 20 people are missing and the Nepal army is racing to evacuate hundreds more from flooded villages as the waters rise.

Scores of houses and bridges have been swept away in several parts of the country as incessant rains have swelled rivers, posing a threat of massive flooding and causing panic among the local population.

The home ministry spokesman said 58 people were confirmed dead and another 20 were still unaccounted for.

"Our teams are working continuously in search and rescue operations, as well as to provide relief," deputy spokesman Jhanka Nath Dhakal told AFP.

Images released by the army, which is involved in the operation, showed villagers waiting on rooftops to be evacuated in motorboats.

Scores of people die every year from flooding and landslides during the monsoon rains in Nepal and neighbouring India.

Earlier this month, two children were killed when a school in the capital partially collapsed in heavy rains.

The situation is particularly desperate this year because millions of Nepalis are still living in tents or makeshift huts after a devastating earthquake that killed nearly 9,000 people in 2015.

Water levels were close to dangerous levels in Saptakoshi and Narayani rivers.

Water flow in the Saptakoshi river has crossed this year's highest mark after continuous rainfall for the past 10 days.

Water flow in the river was measured at 277,410 cusec on Tuesday morning, the highest for this year.

All sluice gates in the Gandak Barrage bordering India have been opened after the water level in Narayani river crossed the danger mark.

The gates were opened to allow release of water so that the risk in the barrage and upstream region could be minimised.