60 dead and 41 missing in Nepal landslides and heavy rain
Kathmandu:
Four days of continuous heavy rain and landslides have left 60 people dead in Nepal. According to the authorities, 41 people are missing. Myagdi district in western Nepal is the most affected with 27 deaths. Rescue operations are underway.
“Two of our neighborhoods were completely swept away by the landslides,” said the ANI news agency, citing the representative of the local organization. Hundreds of people have been displaced due to landslides that have buried their homes. Local school buildings and community centers have been converted into shelters for those affected by the floods.
“In the first phase, we rescued the injured and it took us between 30 and 35 hours. Now we are continuing our search for the missing who are buried under the rubble. Identification of the dead and arrangements for their cremation are underway “Said Thamsara Pun, village chief of Dhaulagiri in Myagdi.
Landslides and floods are common in the Himalayan country during the monsoon season. About a thousand people were displaced on Sunday. Landslides have also blocked roads and landslides are hampering rescue operations, local reports said.
Last week, at least 12 people were killed in landslides and 19 others missing, national police said on Friday. Three children are among those who died during landslides.
Narayani and other major rivers in Nepal are swollen due to the continuous downpour of the past few days.
Earlier, the Nepal meteorological office predicted heavy rains over the weekend over the country. In its latest bulletin, the country’s meteorological office said that a low pressure belt in the Terai region is causing continuous precipitation.
