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Many were killed by floods, landslides in Bhutan, Nepal | Weather News

Two Himalayan states have been affected by heavy rains in the past three days as the early rainy season begins.

Extreme levels of flood danger were swept along Bhutan by a landslide, killing 10 people and injuring five, while Nepal floods have left three dead and seven dead, officials said.

The villagers in Bhutan, who pick up string, mushrooms and medicinal plants, had fallen asleep as soon as the floodwaters came in the middle of the night.

Their camp near Laya, about 60km (37 miles) north of the capital, Thimphu, was washed away, local media reported.

“Our hearts go out to the people of Laya today, as we hear of the tragedy that has befallen a group of cordycep collectors on the coast,” Bhutan Prime Minister Lotay Tshering said in a statement.

Two helicopters were called in to evacuate the injured and rescuers, and the paramedics were on their way to the destination shortly after walking 11 hours from a nearby road.

Rural people in neighboring Bhutan and Nepal travel to the mountains every year to pick up cordyceps that they believe can be healthy.

The villagers had set up camp on the side of a small river in the middle of a small hill, says the Bhutanese newspaper.

“It is believed that he was washed away by the floodwaters in the river,” he said.

Nepali military helicopter flying over flooded houses along the Melamchi River during a rescue operation in Sindhupalchowk, Nepal [Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters]

Three have died, seven are missing in Nepal

In Nepal, police spokesman Basanta Bahadur Kunwar said rescue teams had recovered three bodies – two in western Nepal and one in the country.

“The military has been working with local people to save the affected families and living in a better environment,” Kunwar told DPA.

Home Affairs Minister Dil Kumar Tamang said seven people had disappeared after a night of rain in Sindhupalchowk province, which crosses Tibet’s Chinese province, causing flooding in the Melamchi River and flooding many homes.

“We are collecting details of the loss,” Tamang told Reuters news agency.

Witnesses said several people in Melamchi had evacuated to higher ground with their luggage while rescue helicopters were stranded in missing homes.

Officials urged residents along the Narayani River, which flows into India like the Gandak, to stay alert as the river flows through dangerous areas.

More than three days of torrential rains caused the Melamchi River to rise, sweeping several homes and destroying bridges and road works in two towns northeast of Kathmandu.

“We have not been able to find the exact cause of the damage,” Khanal told DPA.

Nepal and Bhutan experienced heavy rainfall over the past three days as the annual rainy season begins. Disasters caused by the Monsoon are common in both countries because of their mountains and large rivers.




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