Floods triggered by heavy rains inundated hundreds of houses in eastern Tarai in the past 24 hours. A boy drowned while another went missing in Sunsari.

In Saptari, about 2,500 houses were inundated in two dozen VDCs owing to the floods. More than 800 houses were waterlogged at Tilathi VDC as the Khando river flooded the settlements. Security personnel rescued Ghuran Sada who was swept away.

The local administration said that floodwater entered into 100 houses in Topa VDC, while 50 houses were inundated in the adjacent Kajauli village.

In Rajbiraj, the district headquarters of Saptari, around 100 houses were waterlogged after the incessant rains. Water levels in several rivers, including Saptakoshi, have reached worrying levels, according to locals.

In Jhapa, the flooded Ratuwa river breached its embankment at Lakhanpur-2 and inundated dozens of houses in settlements on the riverbanks. Deputy Superintendent of Police Hari Prasad Sharma said the security personnel of Nepal Police and Armed Police Force have been working tirelessly to repair the breached embankment. There were also reports of widespread inundation in Bhadrapur, Panchgachhi, Damak, Birtamod, Garamani, Korabari, among other places in the district. Triggered by incessant rains, the water levels in Kankai, Kamala, Ratuwa, Biring, Titing, among other rivers and rivulets, have increased dramatically, said police.

In Sunsari, five-year-old Jisan Ansari of Jalpapur-7 drowned and Salin Miya of Narsingh went missing in a local stream. The victims drowned while fishing in the paddy field. The local administration said about a dozen VDCs were affected by floods in the district.

In Morang, more than 500 houses were inundated at Hasandaha VDC ward No 3 and 5 as the Bakraha stream overflew its banks. Police said the stream burst the embankment at Jayanagar and submerged the nearby settlement. Local Kedar Thapa said the stream breached about 150 metres of the embankment.

Scores of houses were waterlogged at Amardaha, Gobindapur, Dainiya, Sijuwa and Madhumalla. The local administration said a huge number of security personnel have been deployed in the affected area for rescue and relief operations. Paddy planted in hectares of land was destroyed in the disaster.

Alarming rise of water levels in Saptakoshi

SAPTARI: Water levels in Saptakoshi Rive is continuously rising, sparking concerns of flooding among people in the nearby settlements. The flood control office at Koshi barrage reported 242,725 cusecs of flow in the river on Saturday evening and said that 33 floodgates at the barrage have been opened.

All 36 floodgates at Gandak Canal lifted

NAWALPARASI: All 36 floodgates at Gandak Barrage were opened on Sunday as the water levels in Narayani River continued to rise due to incessant rains. The water flow in the river was measured at 334,000 cusecs on Saturday afternoon, up from 272,000 cusecs the previous day. Panic of floods has gripped people living along the riverbanks after the river eroded spurs at Narsahi and Paklihawa.