Landslide, lightning emerge as top killers

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Oct. 31: A total of 211 persons were killed in different natural disasters in the last seven months (from April 14). Likewise, 721 persons were injured while 32 went missing in those incidents. 

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), as of Monday, a total of 3,189 incidents of natural disasters were reported.

It said 47 people were killed in 477 landslide cases. Nine individuals are still missing and 56 others were left injured. According to the statistics of NDRRMA, the landslides affected 1,958 families during the period. 

Dhruva Bahadur Khadka, Under Secretary and Spokesperson for the NDRRMA, said that property worth Rs. 1.52 billion was damaged in the natural disasters and Rs. 56. 5 million from the landslides alone. Lightning killed 39 people and 210 lightning incidents were observed in the last seven months, said Khadka. Lightning injured 181 people and affected 333 families. 

Similarly, fire and flood incidents took the lives of 28 and 18 persons respectively. The Authority had registered 1,609 incidents of fire and 151 floods in the last seven months. 

In the floods, 21 people went missing in different parts of the country while 3,733 families were affected. Eight individuals were injured due to the flood. 

In 58 incidents of earthquakes, one person was killed, and 27 others were injured. Earthquakes affected 280 families in different parts of the country within the period. 

The NDRRMA has also said that 23 people were killed by the attack of wild animals while 146 injuries in 172 incidents.  One person went missing in the attack of wild animals. Further, in seven separate avalanche incidents, 12 persons were killed, and five were left injured. Avalanches affected 15 families over the period. 

In a total of 32 incidents of snakebites, 19 people were killed and 16 were injured, and high altitude claimed 10 lives in 43 reported incidents. 

According to spokesperson Khadka, in 15 different kinds of natural disasters, 9,441 families were affected over the period.