Floods, landslides bring misery; 8 dead, 13 missing KATHMANDU, JUL 23 - At least eight persons died and 13 others went missing in landslides and flood s in different parts of the country on Monday. Landslides triggered by heavy rainfall claimed three lives in Khanichhap and Pipaldanda in Palpa district. Deputy Superintendent of Police Sthaneshwor Regmi said 14-year-old Prem Kumari Darlami and her 11-year-old brother Bishnu were killed when a landslide buried the house of Bhim Bahadur Darlami in Khanichhap on early on Monday. Incessant rainfall caused a house to collapse in Pipaldanda, killing 56-year-old Durga Bahadur Sunari. His 13-year-old son Chabilal was injured. Landslips in various parts of the Tansen-Tamghas and Bartung-Ramdi sections of Siddhartha Highway have disrupted vehicular movement, while flood waters have waterlogged the Madiphant and Prabhas regions. Flash flood s destroyed a large area of plantation in Jyamire VDC where scores of domesticated animals were also swept away. In Syangja district, landslides killed three persons—three-month-old Mina BK, Rita Bhattarai and Dil Bahadur Sarki—in Sekham, Kuwakot and Chinnebas. A landslide in Chinnebas destroyed a school building and a suspension bridge. In Myagdi district, a couple from Bhakimli VDC-8 was killed when a landslide buried their house. Police said security personnel and Red Cross staffers mobilised at the scene pulled out the bodies of Man Bahadur and his wife Nandakali from the rubble. Landslips and mudslides have also affected Mangalghat Bazar, Thallepipal, Setipahiro, Chamere, Tiplyang, Mahabhir, Bhirkate, Naunibagar, Guithe, Rupsechhahara and Badarjungbhir, while transport service has come to a grinding halt in various places in the district. Five persons went missing when flood waters from Kalikhola swept them away in Rakachuli VDC in Nawalparasi. Local villager Khum Bahadur Khamgaha said Phulmansingh Rai, Dhansingh Rai Magar, Bimala Rai, 10-year-old Khagisara Rai Magar and six-year-old Tilkanchan Rai Magar are missing. Continuous rainfall and lack of a proper road to Rakachuli have hampered search and rescue work, Chief District Officer Keshab Adhikari said. Similarly, three persons from Gaidakot VDC are also reported missing in the Narayani river. Police said Sanjeeb Rai, Prem Rai and Milan Rai were reportedly swept away while crossing the river on an inflated tube. The swollen Narayani river has put many riverside settlements in Nawalparasi and neighbouring Chitwan district in danger. Water more than three meters high has flood ed 45 houses, displacing the occupants in Sharanpur of Mangalpur VDC. At least 150 houses in different parts of Nawalparasi are waterlogged, while a large area of farmland has been destroyed. The buildings of the District Police Office, Siddharthanagar Municipality, National Trading, Immigration Office, Animal Quarantine Office, Plant Quarantine Office, Tourism Office and the Gautam Buddha Airport have also been affected. In Dolakha, five members of a family are missing after a landslide swept away their house in Marbu VDC-1. There were no signs of Pale Thami, Shivalaxmi, Januma, Binod and Sanju until late in the evening. Landslides in different parts of Dolakha have damaged six houses and displaced more than 20 people. Floodwaters from the Rapti river, meanwhile, inundated several villages in Banke and Dang districts, affecting hundreds of people. Local authorities have mobilised security personnel in the affected areas to rescue villagers. A 10-year-old girl from Fattehpur-8 in Banke is reportedly missing in the Rapti river. (Our correspondents in Palpa, Syangja, Myagdi, Nawalparasi, Banke, Dolakha and Dang contributed to this report)
Posted on: Thu, 25 Jul 2013 21:20:13 +0000