Nepal: At least 5 dead, 28 missing in landslides caused by rain

According to police officials, landslides caused by rain on Monday killed at least 5 persons in 4 districts of Eastern Nepal.

According to the Koshi province District Police, five individuals have been reported deceased since Saturday night’s intense downpour in Nepal’s Sankhuwasabha, Taplejung, Panchthar, and Dhankuta Districts caused destruction and casualties.

“Two people have been confirmed dead in Panchthar, one each in Sankhuwasabha, Taplejung and Dhankuta District,” the Provincial District Police record stated.

“21 people are unaccounted for in Sankhuwasabha while 4 are reported missing in Panchthar and 3 in Taplejung District since Saturday night,” the Provincial District Police said.

During the monsoon season, Nepal has seen a number of disasters brought on by torrential rains that resulted in landslides, flooding, and inundation. The monsoon started in Nepal last week and is expected to spread throughout the entire nation by the weekend, which will lead to an increase in mortality during the coming weeks.

Prakash Jwala, Nepal’s Minister of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, said in a speech to the federal parliament on Sunday in Kathmandu that severe rains have caused a significant loss of property in Eastern Nepal.

“Eastern Nepal’s different districts specially Taplejung, Panchthar, Sankhuwasabha and Terhathum have faced extensive damage to properties due to the flood and landslide. Road connections and belly-bridge in those districts have witnessed damages and many more roads have been disrupted,” Minister Jwala said.

The minister also informed the parliament that search, rescue and relief operations are currently underway in the affected districts.

“The government is carrying out the works for search and rescue of the missing ones and those reeling under the catastrophe in those districts. In those areas, the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force, Nepal Police as well as government officials are involved in the search, rescue and relief efforts,” the minister added.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority earlier this month projected 1.25 million citizens to be affected by monsoon this year.
“An estimated 1.298 million individuals from 286,998 households will be affected by the disaster,” the disaster management authority stated in its projection.

According to estimates, 400,000 people in the Madhesh province and 300,000 people in the Koshi province will be impacted. The calamity is expected to have a negative impact on an estimated 200,000 people in Lumbini Province, 100,000 in Bagmati Province, 147,000 in Sudurpaschim Province, 69,000 in Gandaki Province, and 35,000 in Karnali Province. Last year, there were almost 2 million impacted individuals.

The NDRRMA has also approved an action plan that calls for the participation of numerous ministries and relevant sectors, non-governmental organisations like the Nepal Red Cross, in working on disaster management, search and rescue operations, and the distribution of relief supplies, as well as an analysis of monsoon-related risks and an assessment of their impacts.