The bodies of all three people who had gone missing after a landslide in Sunchhahari Rural Municipality, Rolpa, have been recovered.
The landslide, triggered by incessant rainfall, swept down from above a house in Phalabang, Sunchhahari-2, on Thursday night. The bodies recovered were those of 77-year-old Bir Bahadur Gharti Magar, his 68-year-old wife Shani Gharti Magar, and their 70-year-old neighbor Lali Gharti Magar, who had gone to sleep at their house that night.
According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Pancha Kumar Bakhu, chief of the District Police Office, Rolpa, the search is continuing for another person from Sunchhahari-2.
In Gitthe, a house belonging to local resident Lade Budha Magar was also completely destroyed by a landslide. Budha is still missing and search efforts are underway, DSP Bakhu said.
The police post in Siuri received information from locals only after 8 a.m. on Friday about the house being buried by the landslide overnight. A police team led by Assistant Sub-inspector Lal Bahadur Pandey reached the site from Siuri at around 9 a.m. and began searching for the missing person.
Similarly, locals informed the police post in Gam about the Phalabang landslide after 8 a.m. on Friday. According to Inspector Krishna Shrestha, spokesperson for the District Police Office, a team led by Assistant Sub-inspector Makar Rasikot reached the site at around 9 a.m. and began search and rescue operations.
Earlier, a landslide carrying mud and debris destroyed an entire settlement in Kotalbara, Thabang Rural Municipality-5, on Wednesday evening. The bodies of 10 people killed in the landslide were recovered on Thursday – five at the landslide site and another five at different locations along the Madi River in Pyuthan.
Three more people who were caught in the Thabang landslide are still missing.
DSP Bakhu said police units from the Area Police Office Thabang, Uwa and other locations have continued the search since Friday morning.
Two people injured in the incident are receiving treatment in Butwal.
