The Nepal Weekly 
October 7, 2025A devastating flood and landslides following Dashain have caused significant human casualties in Nepal. From Saturday morning to Sunday evening, floods, landslides, lightning, and other incidents claimed the lives of 60 people, while 6 others remain missing. In the past three days, 60 people have died including 15 children in 11 districts in natural disaster related incidents such as flood, landslides and lightening, according to Home Ministry sources.
In Ilam, 37 people were killed, while eight people died in Panchathar, 3 each died in Udayapur and Rautahat, 2 each died in Kavre and Khotang, and one each killed in Sunsari, Morang, Mohattari, Sindhuli and Sindhupalchowk districts.
Police also stated that 532 people trapped by floods and landslides have been rescued.
As the government adopted high alert measures, monsoon-related disasters on highways were relatively less severe this year. Following forecasts of heavy rainfall, the government on Friday had suspended long-distance transportation and also restricted vehicles from entering or leaving the Kathmandu Valley.
Police reported that no deaths occurred on highways due to floods and landslides during the rainfall on Saturday and Sunday. In contrast, heavy losses had been recorded on highways during the floods and landslides of last year’s Asoj. However, this time, compared to last year, the Kathmandu Valley and surrounding areas did not experience heavy rainfall, resulting in less highway damage. Learning from last year’s experience, the government had adopted high alert measures. From Thursday onward, vehicle movement was restricted at night on most roads, and from Friday, all non-essential vehicles were banned from operating.
Although heavy rainfall was predicted for Kathmandu and surrounding areas on Saturday night, the low-pressure system had shifted toward eastern Nepal. As a result, the Madhesh and Koshi regions experienced torrential rain, leading to devastating landslides in areas such as Ilam in Koshi Province. Meteorologists had already warned of potential disasters in the Koshi hills, as Nepal’s southeast-tilted geography causes dense clouds from the monsoonal storm—moving from the central to eastern region—to travel north of the Mahabharat range, bringing intense rainfall to those areas.
The authority has instructed concerned agencies to repair and reopen obstructed roads immediately, ensure the operation of essential services, and, considering local disaster risk conditions, coordinate inter-district movement for freight and passenger vehicles stranded on highways as well as for short-distance transport. It has also directed the relevant bodies to restore essential services such as drinking water, electricity, and communications that have been disrupted.
