More than 200 killed: What caused the devastating floods in Nepal?

Working-class riverside communities bear the brunt of Kathmandu’s floods, worsened by climate change and poor urban planning.

Nepalese capital Kathmandu was inundated by floodwaters last week after record-breaking rains caused the Bagmati river to breach its banks.

More than 200 people have been killed and thousands of houses damaged in the worst flooding and landslides in the Kathmandu valley in years.

So what caused the flooding and landslides? Was it climate change or unchecked urban encroachment of the river that passes through Kathmandu valley? We speak to experts to understand the deadly flooding in the Himalayan region.

From Thursday to Sunday, the Kathmandu valley recorded about 240mm (9.4 inches) of rain – the biggest deluge since 2002, according to a monitoring station at the Kathmandu airport.

Some parts of Kathmandu reported rain up to 322.2mm (12.7 inches).

The intense downpour was mostly seen in Kathmandu and surrounding regions.

Popular tourist destination, the mountainous Pokhara which is more than 200km (124 miles) from Kathmandu, was also hit by flooding.

On Wednesday morning, the Nepal Police Headquarters reported that the death toll from the floods and resulting landslides had risen to 228.

At least 25 other people are missing and 158 injured, according to the police report cited in local news outlet, The Kathmandu Post.

Recovery work by the police, paramilitary forces and the army was ramped up on Monday.

Nepal’s army reported that more than 4,000 people were rescued using helicopters, ziplines and rafts.

However, damaged infrastructure and blocked roads are hindering rescue operations, local media reported.

Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli called an emergency meeting after returning on