3 years ago
After the risk of landslides increased, the villagers, including Nimachiring Dong, returned home from the district headquarters a year ago, drawing the government's attention to relocate the settlement. However, three members of his family have gone missing due to the landslide that engulfed the village within a year.
The team including Nima of Jugal Gaonpalika-2, Golche Lidi, had drawn the attention of other bodies through the Chief District Officer for the third time on Shrawan 23 after cracks were seen and the landslide started falling in the village.
The landslide has made 3 people of Nima's family and 27 others of the village disappear due to the landslide before their requests were listened to.
Spokesperson of the District Police Office DSP Madhav Kafle said that the bodies of 11 people were found buried in the landslide. According to him, the bodies of two men, four women and five children buried by the landslide have been found by the rescue team. Those found have not been identified.
A landslide that swept from about 400 meters above the settlement while the locals were having breakfast at their house at 6:30 am on Friday has caused huge loss of property of 37 households in the locality.
When his wife, who was sleeping with him, went to another house with her child, Nima jumped up and ran away. However, he could not save his 37-year-old wife Dhanmaya Dong, 5-month-old son and 72-year-old mother Wangji Lama.
As the risk of landslides increased in the village, most of the locals used to spend the night in barns and huts elsewhere. Nima said that no one was left behind by the landslide when they came home for breakfast and other work. "We survivors as with others who could escape," said Nima, who was hit in the arm and neck by a landslide while fleeing.
The injured were rescued by Nepal Army and locals in a helicopter about five hours after the incident in Lidi, which is geographically remote and inaccessible to traffic.
Speaker of the House of Representatives Agni Prasad Sapkota, who was elected from the same constituency, who reached there in a helicopter sent an army from Chautara and rescued 5 injured people.
Troops were sent to the landslide site by helicopter to search and rescue the missing. After rescuing the injured from the helicopter and bringing them to the district headquarters Chautara, the speaker's team reached the spot.
According to the District Police Office, a police team reached the spot in the afternoon after a six-hour walk from Katike Police Post. Ward Chairman Pratap Lama said that huge loss of life and property had taken place in the village less than a week after appealing to the government for the third time for help after seeing the danger of landslides in the settlement.
Locals estimate that the landslide was caused by the tunnel of the hydropower project dug under the settlement.
Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa has reached Jugal village carrying relief materials in a helicopter. The team includes Home Secretary Maheshwar Neupane, Chief Executive Officer of Disaster Management Authority Anil Pokharel and other officials.
According to Home Minister's Press Coordinator Kiran Bhattarai, the team came to the landslide site carrying daily necessities and tents.
