The arrival of the monsoon in eastern Nepal has caused flooding, road disruptions, and at least one confirmed death, with several districts in Koshi province witnessing continuous heavy rainfall over the past two days.

In Jhapa, the body of Bhagirath Tamang, 56, a resident of Rong Rural Municipality-6 in Ilam, was recovered from an irrigation canal in Mechinagar-1. Police confirmed that Tamang was swept away by the Siddhi Khola on Saturday before being carried into the canal near Bhrikuti in Mechinagar-2. His body has been sent to the Provincial Hospital in Bhadrapur for post-mortem.

Meanwhile, in Dhankuta, efforts to construct a diversion route on the Leuti section of the Koshi Highway have been hampered by continuous flooding in the Leuti Khola. Nearly 50 metres of the blacktopped road in the Phedi area of Sangurigadhi Rural Municipality-6 were washed away by swollen waters, leaving dozens of vehicles stranded.

The Division Road Office said attempts to install a diversion along the affected Mulghat–Simsuwa section are ongoing but have been hindered by the relentless current. Heavy rainfall has made it impossible to deploy excavators and bulldozers to the site, said Chief District Officer Tuwaraj Pokhrel.

Authorities are attempting to use vehicles on either side of the washout to help stranded passengers continue their journey. A temporary footpath is being built for pedestrians, and officials said full diversion works will begin once water levels recede.

The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology issued alerts on Saturday, warning residents in Ilam, Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, and Dhankuta of dangerous water levels in small rivers and streams. In some locations, rainfall had already reached hazardous levels by the morning.

The department warned of possible flooding in the Mechi Khola in Ilam, Biring, Ninda, and Kankai rivers in Jhapa, as well as the Chisang, Mawa-Ratuwa, Lohandra, and Bakraha rivers in Morang.

In Sunsari, the Budhi Khola was also flagged as being near the alert threshold.