More than 60 dead as intense rainfall hits Nepal and northern India

More than 60 dead as intense rainfall hits Nepal and northern India

Teo Blašković

At least 63 people were killed after days of intense monsoon rainfall triggered widespread landslides and flash floods across Nepal and northern India between October 3 and 5, 2025. Nepal’s eastern Ilam District suffered the heaviest toll, with 35 deaths, as rivers, including the Koshi, exceeded danger levels. Dozens remain missing, and thousands were forced to evacuate as authorities opened all 56 sluice gates of the Koshi Barrage and suspended air and road traffic.

Days of intense monsoon rainfall across eastern Nepal and parts of northern India triggered deadly landslides and flash floods between October 3 and 5, killing at least 63 people and leaving dozens missing.

In Nepal, at least 47 fatalities were confirmed, most of them in Ilam District, where multiple slope failures buried homes and blocked roads. Additional casualties occurred in Panchthar, Dhankuta, and Sindhuli districts. Three people were killed by lightning, and nine remain missing.

According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM), rainfall exceeded 250 mm (9.8 inches) in a 24-hour period across several hilly districts.

The Koshi River rose above the danger level, prompting the opening of all 56 sluice gates at the Koshi Barrage to prevent overflow into downstream settlements. Hydrological stations along the Gandaki and Bagmati basins also recorded high discharge levels.

The Ministry of Home Affairs issued emergency alerts in Bagmati, Gandaki, Lumbini, and Madhesh provinces, warning of further landslides and flash flooding due to saturated soils. Nepal Army and Armed Police Force units were deployed to assist in search and rescue operations, but many remote communities remained inaccessible after roads were washed out or buried under debris.