Kathmandu: Heavy rains have killed at least 11 people and blocked major roads and highways in Nepal for the past 36 hours.
Police spokesman Dan Bahadur Karki said eight people were missing, either washed away by the flood or swept away, while 12 others were injured and hospitalized.
The Koshi River in southeastern Nepal, which causes floods in the eastern Indian state of Bihar almost every year, is flowing above danger levels, district officials said.
Bed Raj Phuyal, a senior official in Sunsari district where the river flows, told Reuters: “The flow of the Koshi is rising and we are asking residents to be alert about the possibility of flooding.”
At 0900 (0315 GMT), the flow of water in the Koshi River was 369,000 cubic meters per second, twice the normal flow of 150,000 cubic meters, he said.
One cubic foot is the measure of water flow, and one cubic foot is equal to one cubic foot per second.
Officials said 56 gates of the Koshi barrage were opened to release water, compared to the usual 10-12.
Authorities said the flow of the Narayani, Rapti and Mahakali rivers in the west had also risen.
Several rivers overflowed their banks in Kathmandu, flooding the streets and inundating many houses.
Local media showed people wading into deep water or using buckets to evacuate residents from their homes.
During the monsoon season, which usually starts in mid-June and lasts until mid-September, hundreds of people die in frequent landslides and floods in Nepal, especially in the mountains.
Flooding in the northeastern Indian state of Assam has killed dozens and left thousands homeless.
