More than 200 deaths reported in India and Nepal following heavy rainfall and flooding
By Esha Mitra, CNN
The death toll from flooding and landslides in Nepal rose to 104 on Friday after 27 more deaths were reported since Wednesday evening, Phanindra Mani Pokharel, a spokesperson for Nepal’s ministry of home affairs, said on Friday morning.
At least 201 deaths have been reported across Nepal and the Indian states of Kerala and Uttarakhand as of Friday.
Nepal began receiving heavy rainfall on Monday after a low-pressure system formed over northern India, bringing in moisture from the Bay of Bengal.
At least 70 people have died in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, which also experienced flooding, Uttarakhand’s director general of police Ashok Kumar told CNN.
Nainital district in Uttarakhand was the worst-affected and accounts for about half of the deaths.
Most of the rescue operations are complete in Uttarakhand but efforts continue to rescue trekkers from the upper reaches of the state, for which helicopters have been deployed, Kumar added. In Nepal rescue and recovery efforts are ongoing, Pokharel told CNN.
The Chardham yatra, a Hindu pilgrimage, was underway in Uttarakhand when the state began flooding on Monday. Several pilgrims were visiting the destination and were caught amid the flooding.
Rainfall has since receded, and the pilgrimage has resumed in some parts where roads have been cleared of debris.
Ilam district in Nepal was the worst hit, with 36 deaths recorded in this district alone, according to Pokharel.
In Nepal, the meteorological department said Thursday evening that chances of rain and snow would continue to prevail on Friday.
The-CNN-Wire
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