Landslides kill 7 in Jajarkot and Bajhang districts

By Our Correspondents,Jajarkot/Bajhang, Aug. 20: Seven persons were killed in two separate landslides in Jajarkot district of Karnali Province and Bajhang district of Sudurpashchim Province on Monday. 

Three members of a single family died in a landslide that buried their temporary shelter in Dandagaun of Nalgadh Municipality-2, Jajarkot in Karnali Province. 

According to the Chief of the District Police Office, Purushottam Prasad Pandey, 42-year-old Lal Bahadur Pariyar, his 35-year-old wife Manisha BK, and their two-year-old son Shubham Pariyar died in the landslide.

 Pandey said that the police received information about the landslide at the temporary shelter at 7:50 am on Monday. Following that, a police team led by Inspector Madhav Prasad Bishwakarma was deployed to the site. The team arrived at the scene at 9:00 am and recovered the bodies.

According to the Chief District Officer Umakant Adhikar, Jajarkot district is at high risk of landslides. He said that the risk increased after last year’s earthquake weakened the land. He said that the general public should be aware of themselves as it is raining continuously during the rainy season.

CDO Adhikari further said that four persons went missing in monsoon-caused landslides.

According to Dambar Rawat, Mayor of Nalagad Municipality, the victims were earthquake survivors. Since their permanent residence had not been constructed, they were living in the temporary shelter. The incident site is near Dalli, the administrative centre of Nalagad Municipality.

Similarly, in Bajhang district of Sudurpashchim Province,  four members of a single family were killed in a landslide. The landslide, which occurred at night, claimed four lives in Tumeda village of Bungal Municipality-10.

The landslide hit the lone house of the village belonging to Bira Dhami, killing his wife, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren. 

Chief of the Sudurpashchim Province Police and Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Rabindra KC said that the bodies of all four victims were recovered. The victims of the landslide were Dhami’s 55-year-old wife Kali Dhami, his 25-year-old daughter-in-law Golki Dhami and his granddaughters six-year-old Aakriti Dhami and three-year-old Laxmi Dhami.

Their bodies were retrieved by a team deployed from the local police office, Bungal, with the help of locals.

A team including Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Phanindra Bhandari of the District Police Office had already left for Bungal with relief materials.

According to the police, at around 1:30 am on Monday, a landslide suddenly occurred from above hit Bir Bahadur Dhami’s house. After realising the landslide, six persons including Bir Bahadur Dhami managed to escape and save their lives. According to the police, 16-year-old Kamala Dhami, 30-year-old Ujjwal Dhami, 10-year-old Rashen Dhami, 20-year-old Shanti Dhami and 71-year-old Ambadutta Joshi escaped and saved their lives.