In Nepal alone, more than a hundred houses were buried by heavy monsoon rains. Severe storms also hit northern India.
Nepalese soldiers rescue residents with a swimming ring from a flooded street (file image). dpa/Sulav Shrestha
Heavy monsoon rains and landslides have killed nearly 50 people in Nepal and India. At least 22 people have died in western Nepal in recent days when more than 100 houses were buried by landslides, a police spokesman said. Eleven other people were injured. The police and army have launched a major rescue operation, clearing the rubble and distributing food, tents and clothing.
Across the border in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, 26 people have died following heavy rains, authorities said. Among the dead were nine construction workers who were buried in the town of Lucknow when a wall under construction collapsed on their shacks.
The monsoon season in South Asia accounts for 70-80% of annual rainfall, but it also brings death and destruction. Nearly 1,400 people have died in devastating floods in Pakistan in recent weeks. According to scientists, climate change is leading to heavier and harder to predict monsoon rains.
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