Disasters resulted in 493 fatalities in last one year

KATHMANDU: A series of disasters resulted in 493 casualties, with 31 individuals reported missing and 1,616 injured in 2080 BS/

According to Joint Secretary Bharatmani Pandey of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, throughout the year, Nepal recorded a total of 6,400 incidents of natural disasters, affecting 80,716 families.

The calamities, including landslides, floods, boat capsizes, lightning strikes, snakebites, fires, heavy rains, non-natural disasters, high winds, earthquakes, flu outbreaks, animal attacks, avalanches, and snowfall, caused property losses amounting to Rs 5.42 billion.

The most devastating event was the Jajarkot earthquake on November 3, which claimed 155 lives.

Fires also caused significant damage, with 4,061 incidents reported from Baisakh 1 to Chait 30 of 2080 BS (April 14, 2023 – April 12, 2024), resulting in 106 casualties, 504 injuries, and affecting 5,130 families, with property losses exceeding Rs 2.52 billion.

Similarly, the country witnessed 250 lightning incidents, resulting in 46 fatalities and 228 injuries.

Animal assaults claimed 45 lives and left 278 injured.

Landslides accounted for 50 deaths, while avalanches, forest fires, and other disasters caused further casualties.

Similarly, landslides caused 50 deaths followed by 18 from flood, 20 from snakebites, 12 from avalanches, and 11 from forest fires.