Deadly landslides and floods devastate Nepal, killing at least 44 and sweeping away entire villages

Dozens of people have been killed and several others remain missing after torrential rains triggered landslides, flooding, and lightning strikes across Nepal, sweeping away homes and entire villages in one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.

Officials said at least 44 people lost their lives on Sunday, with most of the casualties reported in the eastern mountain district of Illam — a tea-growing region bordering India — where days of relentless rainfall caused massive landslides that buried homes and roads.

Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said 37 people were killed in Illam alone, with several others still unaccounted for. Rescuers said the situation was dire as entire villages were wiped out and access roads destroyed.

“Six members of a single family were crushed to death while they slept when a landslide hit their home,” said local official Bholanath Guragai. “Heavy rain and blocked roads are making rescue work extremely difficult.”

Authorities deployed helicopters to airlift the injured and evacuate stranded residents, while ground troops worked to clear debris and move survivors to safer ground.

Elsewhere, one person was killed in a neighboring district, three others were struck by lightning in eastern Nepal, and another three died in flash floods in the southern region.

The government has declared a national holiday until Monday as the rain continues to wreak havoc across the country. Major highways linking the capital, Kathmandu, to other provinces were shut down after sections were buried by landslides or deemed unsafe for travel. Some routes have since reopened partially, but thousands of travelers returning to the capital after the Dashain festival remain stranded.

Air traffic was also disrupted over the weekend, with domestic flights grounded on Saturday due to poor visibility before resuming operations on Sunday.

The monsoon season — which typically runs from June to mid-September — has been particularly destructive this year, and the latest downpours hit just as it was winding down.

Last year, similar floods and landslides killed more than 220 people and injured over 150 across Nepal.

Neighboring India has offered assistance, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing sympathy for the victims. “We stand with the people and Government of Nepal in this difficult time,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter), adding that India remains ready to provide help “as a friendly neighbor and first responder.”

Nepal’s government has yet to publicly respond to the offer.

As rescue teams continue to search for survivors, authorities have urged residents in high-risk areas to remain alert, warning that more rainfall could trigger additional landslides and flooding in the coming days.