Authorities in eastern Nepal said Sunday that many landslides and flooding brought on by the monsoon season had left 28 people missing and two people dead.
On Saturday night, a local official said that a worker at a hydroelectric project that was being built on the Hewa River in the Sankhuwasabha area was found dead and that 17 other employees were missing.
A second person passed suddenly and three members of the same family were lost in the neighboring Taplejung district after dwellings were destroyed by a landslide.
“Two bodies have been recovered, but 28 people are missing,” said Rishi Ram Kandel, a spokesperson for Nepali police.
“We have intensified the search and rescue operation.”
According to Mohanmani Ghimire, assistant chief district administrator in Sankhuwasabha, destroyed roads and bridges make it impossible for rescuers to reach impacted communities.
“Machinery and equipment for the hydropower project have been swept away,” he added.
“There are also reports of houses being damaged.”
Forecasters in Nepal issued alerts regarding river water levels and warned that the rain might last for days.
Every year, the South Asian nation is devastated by the monsoon rains from June to September, but in recent years, the frequency of fatal landslides and floods has increased.
According to experts, these catastrophes may be brought on by increased road development and climate change.
