Heavy monsoon rains have wreaked havoc across the country over the past 24 hours, leaving at least three people dead and two others missing. Various road sections were obstructed, while scores of families were displaced due to water-induced disasters.

A 45-year-old man was swept away as several areas in the Kathmandu Valley were flooded, with the water level in the Bagmati river and its tributaries rising significantly on Tuesday night. Security personnel rescued 71 people—28 in Bhaktapur, 24 in Lalitpur and 19 in Kathmandu—who were trapped in the floods.

According to the Kathmandu Valley Police Office, Ramswarup Mahato, a resident of Banke currently living in the landless settlement in Kathmandu, was swept away by the Bagmati river. His body was recovered under the Balkhu bridge on Wednesday morning.

Following the torrential rains in the catchment area, the Bagmati and its tributaries Hanumante, Manohara, Dhobikhola, Godawari, Bishnumati, Nakkhu, and Balkhu swelled, crossing the danger mark. Several houses along the river banks were inundated.

The CPN-UML’s headquarters and ANFA football ground in Chyasal were inundated. Floodwaters also entered settlements in Sanepa, Shankhamul, Kupandole, Changathali, Kuleshwar, Balkhu, Buspark area in Balaju and submerged scores of houses there. Similarly, Radheradhe, Sallaghari and Jagati areas were inundated in Bhaktapur.

Police said property worth around Rs1 million was destroyed when a cotton factory was inundated near the Jagati bridge. According to the Kathmandu Valley Police Office, around 700 chickens perished in various places in three districts of the Kathmandu Valley.

According to the Meteorological Forecasting Division, light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning is likely in some places of Koshi, Bagmati, Gandaki, Lumbini, Karnali, and Sudurpaschim provinces on Wednesday night and Thursday. Heavy to very heavy rain with thunder and lightning is expected to occur at a few places in Koshi, Bagmati, Gandaki, Lumbini, Karnali, and Sudurpaschim provinces on Wednesday.

In Bhojpur, the flooded Ikhuwa river swept away two workers of the under construction Ikhuwa Hydropower Project near Gothe Bazaar in ward 4 of Salpasilichho Rural Municipality on Tuesday night. According to the District Police Office, Ramesh Tharu and Shyam Kumar Tharu were swept away while one Ram Kisan Tharu was rescued by local residents. The body of one worker was recovered at Satighat of the Arun river while another worker is still missing, said police.

Meanwhile, floods in a local stream swept away two houses in ward 2 of Shadananda Municipality on the same night.

Similarly, two people were swept away by flooded streams in Dang and Bardiya districts of Lumbini Province on Wednesday. Tej Bahadur Bhandari, 67, from ward 2 of Tulasipur Sub-Metropolitan City died after being swept away by the Chiraghat stream in ward 4 of Shantinagar Rural Municipality, said police. His body was recovered a kilometre downstream.

A 35-year-old Parbati Tharu went missing after the rain-swollen Mankhola swept her away in ward 3 of Basgadhi Municipality in Bardiya. The incident occurred when she was fishing in the stream with her husband. The local people rescued Parbati’s husband who is currently receiving treatment at Kohalpur Teaching Hospital in Banke.

In Mahottari, the rain-swollen Dhungre stream damaged Belgachhi bridge along the East-West Highway on Tuesday night, disrupting transportation for several hours, affecting hundreds of passengers.

According to Superintendent of Police Nakul Pokharel, the flooded stream damaged around seven feet of the bridge’s approach. “The rising water level and siltation in the stream caused damage to the highway,” he added.

Similarly in Lamjung, a landslide blocked Besisahar-Chame road section at Uttisghari area in ward 6 of Besisahar Municipality on Tuesday night. Likewise, the flooded stream swept away several metres of the road along the Lamjung section of the Mid-Hill Highway in ward 5 of Sundarbazar Municipality. Transportation resumed on the both road sections on Wednesday morning, said police.

In Sindhuli, vehicular movement was disrupted after the floods and landslide blocked the Mid-Hill Highway at Akkarebhir area in ward 6 of Golanjor Rural Municipality. Transportation resumed after clearing the landslide debris after several hours, said police.

According to Nepal Police, at least 145 people have lost their lives in floods, landslides and other water-induced disasters since June 10. Of them, 2 were killed in Kathmandu, 24 in Koshi Province, 6 in Madhesh, 29 in Bagmati, 42 in Gandaki, 24 in Lumbini, 8 in Karnali and 10 in Sudurpaschim Province.

According to the police report, 174 other people were injured during the monsoon-related incidents as of Wednesday. Similarly, 147 people have gone missing in the incidents of floods and landslides across the country. The incidents killed 672 cattle and displaced 4,063 families during the season.

(With inputs from our local correspondents)