Five killed, multiple houses swept away in Dhading landslides

DHADING: Five persons of two families have lost their lives while nine houses have been damaged in landslides that occurred in Saiswara and Chiurikharka of Khaniyabas Rural Municipality, in the northern part of Dhading district, on Wednesday night.

Due to landslides triggered by incessant rain last night, house of Raju Gole in Saiswara, Khaniyabas Rural Municipality-5 was completely damaged after being buried in the debris. In the incident, Gole’s wife Basodha Gurung (36), daughters Laxmi Gurung (10) and Saraswati Gurung (5) have lost their lives, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police at Dhading District Police Office, Ram Bahadur KC.

Gole’s 12-year-old son Bikas has sustained injuries in the incident and has been referred to a health facility in the district headquarters after receiving preliminary treatment at a local health facility. Gole has been reported safe.

Likewise, house of Shamsher Ghale (65) of Chiurikharka in Khaniyabas Rural Municipality-4, has been swept away by the landslide. Police have informed that Ghale and his wife Kopchi Ghale have also died in the incident. Their bodies were retrieved from under the debris on Thursday morning by locals and police.

Houses of Hari Bahadur Rijal and Lal Bahadur Thapa Magar of Todke in the same ward were also damaged in a similar occurrence. Three more houses were buried under landslide debris in Pakhribot of Khaniyabas Rural Municipality-4. District Police Office, Dhading informed that Rabin Gautam (23), Kalpana Gautam (23) and Reshmi Gautam (2) sustained injuries in the incident.

Similarly, five houses have been damaged at Dhokarpur village, Marpak in Netrawati Dapjong Rural Municipality-1 in the district, in which three persons have been injured and have been taken to local health post for treatment.

A team — led by administrative officer of the District Administration Office, Ram Mani Mishra along with Police Inspector Janak Puri — has been dispatched to the affected area. Also, teams deployed from Darkha-based Area Police Office have been sent to different incident sites for rescue operations.

Likewise, a team from the District Hospital has also been dispatched, according to Chief District Officer Bhagirath Pandey. He informed that it has been provisioned to provide Rs 100,000 to families of the deceased and Rs 10,000 to families whose houses have been destroyed by the calamity. Pandey also shared that the compensation would be provided to victims at the incident sites.

It has been learnt that transportation towards the northern region of the district was halted as roads have been damaged due to the rainfall. The police have indicated that total damage incurred due to the multiple landslides is yet to be ascertained.

Source:The Himalayan Times