Landslide buries six in Ramechhap, four more of same family missing

By Nawaraj Shrestha,Ramechhap, Aug. 26: Six persons were buried to death in a landslide that occurred in Lekh Kharka, Tokarpur of Doramba Shailung Rural Municipality-3 in Ramechhap district. One person has been rescued in a wounded condition.

After continuous rainfall, a landslide that occurred around 11:45 pm on Saturday swept away six houses in Lekh Kharka. According to Tul Prasad Kandel, a ward member of Doramba Shailung Rural Municipality-3, six out of eleven persons inside these houses have been found dead, and four are still missing.

Kandel said that one person buried in the landslide was rescued alive.

Among those who died were 32-year-old Chandika Thapa Magar and her 18-month-old son Amus Shrestha. Anjana Pahari, who was buried with Chandika, has been rescued alive, according to the District Police Office Ramechhap.

The bodies of 57-year-old Urmila Pahari, 30-year-old Sandip Pahari, 11-year-old Santosh Pahari, and 11-year-old Bigyan Pahari from the same family have also been recovered, said Police Inspector Kaushal Neupane from the District Police Office Ramechhap.

According to the police, the landslide has left 90-year-old Pudki Pahari, around 55-year-old Kale Pahari, 50-year-old Jhyaunkiri Pahari, and 20-year-old Binita Pahari missing. 

Search operations for the four missing continued until 4:00 pm on Sunday, but due to rain starting afterwards, the search halted till Monday, said ward member Kandel.

He said, “There are no traces of the houses washed away by the landslide. Despite this, we searched until 4:00 pm with the Nepal Police, Nepali Army, and local people. However, there was no trace of the missing four. With the rain starting from 4 PM, the search operations have been halted and will resume from Monday morning.”

Over 60 more houses at high risk

In Lekh Kharka, Tokarpur, Doramba Shailung Rural Municipality-3, there were more than 65 households. Of these, more than six houses have been washed away by the landslide. The remaining houses are also at high risk of landslides.

Since a large landslide occurred above the settlement, all houses in Lekh Kharka are at a high risk, said ward member Kandel. He said that the settlement was at risk of being destroyed, it is no longer safe to reside there. 

Minister directs to relocate risky houses 

State Minister for Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation Purna Bahadur Tamang (Kanchharam) has directed the relocation of the risky settlement in Lekh Kharka, Doramba Shailung Rural Municipality-3. 

State Minister Tamang, who arrived by helicopter to meet the landslide victims on Sunday afternoon, directed the concerned authorities to immediately relocate the at-risk settlements and make necessary arrangements after inspecting the incident. 

He also provided relief funds of Rs. 10,000 per deceased person to the families of those who lost their lives in the landslide.