KATHMANDU: Floods and landslides caused by torrential monsoon rains have killed at least 25 people in the last two days across Nepal, officials said on Saturday.

Heavy rains have hit more than a dozen districts in the country’s far eastern region as well as some areas in the west since Friday morning, the home ministry said.

Flooding has occurred across the densely populated lowlands that border India, while some remote districts in the hilly areas of the far east have been hit by landslides triggered by the monsoon rains.

“We are still collecting the details of the loss. According to the preliminary reports to the ministry over 25 people are feared dead,” Home Ministry spokesman Deepak Kafle said.

The Prime Minister’s office issued a statement putting the death toll at more than two dozen since Friday.

Thirteen people died in eastern districts and at least four others are missing, the head of the region’s police Ramesh Bhattarai said.

Telephone and electricity lines have also been affected by the heavy downpour making it difficult to confirm the full extent of the damage in remote areas, the police chief added.

Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2017