Mudslides, swollen rivers kill 10

REPUBLICA
KATHMANDU, July 2: Torrential rainfall resulted in swollen rivers and landslides that killed 10 people across the country Thursday night and Friday.

Our Tanahun correspondent reported that six people died in the district on Friday from rain-related disasters, while a boy went missing in a river.

Hari Kumar Shrestha, 44, and his daughter Gita Shrestha, 14, died after being swept away by a swollen Chisapani River at Rising Ranipokhari of the district.
The residents of Rising Ranipokhari-4 were crossing the river when they were swept away. Meanwhile, Hari Kumar´s 16-year-old son Dipendra, who was also crossing the river, has gone missing.

In another incident in the same district, 19-year-old Gomaya Ale and her 14-day-old infant daughter Sajin Ale died after landslide buried their house at Poltyang village of Rising Ranipokhari-7, police said. Similarly, 17-year-old Pitamaya Thapa of Bhanumati-8 died after being buried by landslide while she was cutting grass.

Meanwhile, in Bandipur of the same district, Chet Maya Bhattarai died after being hit by landslide. Bhattarai, 78, of Bandipur-8, had gone to see a slide that had struck an area near her house when another slide hit her and hurled her into Faldi River, police said. Her dead body was found in the river, according to Tanahun District Police Office.

Our Palpa correspondent reported three deaths in the district Thursday night due to landslide. One additional person has gone missing while crossing a river.
Two girls were killed after a cattle-shed they were studying in was flattened by landslide at Palungmainadi VDC of the district Thursday night. Shrijana BK, 17, and Sunita BK, 16, died after the shed was flattened by a tree that fell owing to landslide.


An elephant and his young negotiate the flooded Bakalya Rive in Bara district Friday. (UPENDRA LAMICHHANE)

Srijana was preparing for supplementary SLC exam, while Sunita was a tenth grader. Both were students of Kalika Secondary School at Dabaka village of Palungmainadi-6. Their bodies were pulled out of the rubble by locals and the police.

Similarly, a motorcyclist was killed along the Palpa-Butwal road section after being hit by landslide. Dharma Prasad Bhandari, 35, of Madhauliya-7, Rupandehi, died after being hit by the slide. Bhandari was traveling on a motorcycle (Lu 5 Pa 127) from Butwal to Palpa when the slide hit him at Jhumsa of Dovan VDC. He died while receiving treatment at Lumbini Medical College, Palpa.

Meanwhile, 15-year-old Raju Kanauje of Kunsare, Tansen-14 has gone missing while crossing Tinau River of the district. The ninth grader was returning home when the incident occurred. A day-long search was fruitless, police said. In Arghakhanchi, a woman died after landslide buried a house. The woman, whom police identified as the wife of Chandra Bahadur Shrisha of Hansapur-6, died after landslide buried her house Friday afternoon, police said.


A river breaches its course in Palpa after heavy rains Friday. (TEK NARAYAN BHATTARARI)

Over 500 houses inundated

Incessant rain has inundated over 500 houses in Sunsari, our correspondent reported.

Two hundred houses at Baklauri 4, 5, and 6 have been inundated, while 100 houses have been inundated by flooded Sunsari River at Inaruwa 4, 5, and 6, according to District Police Office. Another 100 houses at Nayabasti, Duhabi-4 have also been inundated. Houses at Babiya 1, 6, 7, and 8 have also been inundated. Works have been affected in most of the industries at Sunsari-Morang Industrial Corridor due to inundation.


A schoolgirl is helped by her parents to wade through a flooded road in Palpa district on Friday. (TEK NARAYAN BHATTARAI)

Danger signal at Koshi barrage

The warning red light of Koshi barrage has been lit as the river has swollen to a dangerous level due to incessant rainfall.

The warning light has been on since Friday morning. Fifty gates of the barrage have been opened to prevent possible disaster. More gates will be opened if need be, according to Superintendent of Police Raju Manandhar of Sunsari District Police Office.

The water level of Koshi was 157,095 cusecs Friday morning. By evening the level rose to 158,275 cusecs.


A boy watches rising Koshi waters at Koshi barrage in Sunsari district Friday. (AMAR KHADKA)

Three years ago, when the river breached its eastern embankment and entered human settlements, water level was 168,000 cusecs. The flooding that followed the breach had displaced over 7,000 people.

Three rescued from raging Koshi

Three Indian nationals, who were swept away by Koshi River on Friday, have been rescued. Those rescued are Mohan Kumar Emadi of Kerala, and Randhir Kumar Singh and Rajeev Kumar Sahani of Patna.

The three are employees of Dharti, a company that has been tasked with leveling sand deposited by the river. They were swept away by the river after the machine they were operating was overturned.

The three were immediately rescued by local fishermen, according to Kapil Dev Mandal of Haripur, who was also involved in rescuing them. “We could rescue them as we were rowing our boat nearby,” Mandal said.