Another wave of landslides and heavy rain has killed about 30 people in Nepal, as the Himalayan nation reels from August's catastrophic flooding that left 1,400 dead and thousands more missing.
The national disaster management authority reports that more than 1,900 families have been affected since late last week, with over 240 homes damaged. Roads, buildings and bridges have been swept away and communications cut off in several districts.
Hundreds of trekkers on the Annapurna Circuit – a key driver of Nepal’s tourism economy – have been forced to abort their journeys. Many were helicoptered out from the districts of Manang and Mustang, which usually take up to three weeks to complete.
Local communities are mourning lost loved ones. In Battar, north‑west of Kathmandu, survivor Buti Tamang said: “We used to live in a hut, but now there is nothing. We have lost so many of our relatives.”
Ramesh Ghale, who fled his home, added: “Now it is raining and the tent leaks, so we have nowhere to go.”
Travelers faced treacherous returns. Jake Stacy, a 21‑year‑old guide from Suffolk, explained how the route down was cut by landslides and collapsed bridges, forcing them to forge new paths on mountain slopes. He said, “Many trekkers were helicoptered out.”
Another account from Australian Andrew Graham recounts crossing 15 landslides on the way back from Manang village, with a massive slide blocking a river at Chame, resulting in a temporary lake that flooded houses and a key bridge.
The Annapurna Conservation Area Project says about 700 trekkers remain in Pokhara waiting to embark, but authorities are cautious amid the new hazards. Indian pilgrims who normally drive via Jomson were directed to fly to Pokhara instead.
