Nepal landslides

The monsoon rains triggered another series of landslides in Nepal during June and July, leaving at least 65 people dead in 44 of the country’s 75 districts. The rains left homes destroyed, roads damaged and trails obstructed by slides, with crops devastated by floods.

The Nepalese government states that every year, landslides kill more than 100 people, destroy 3,000 to 4,000 homes and affect 8,000 to 9,000 people, at a cost of US$1 billion. The mountainous country has soft topsoil over rock, and deforestation and its resulting erosion contribute to the problem.