Six killed, one missing in Bajhang landslide

Bajura, July 4

Six persons died in a landslide in Mallesi of Kedarsyun Rural Municipality, Bajhang, last night. One person is missing.

A police team from Bisauna of Durgathali Rural Municipality and locals retrieved the bodies from the landslide debris today.

According to Kedarsyun Rural Municipality ward 8 Chairperson Ganesh Bohara; the bodies of Dale Jethara, 80, Santu Jethara, 13, Rammati Jethara, 40, and her son Prayagraj, 12, and daughters Asmita,16, and Shanti, 15, were found. Giri Jethara, 22, is still missing.

Preparations are on to send the bodies to the district hospital for post-mortem.

According to the ward chairperson, a joint team of APF and Nepal Police is searching for the missing.

“As the landslide has also swept away the road, it took some time for the police to reach the site to carry out the search operation, while a Nepali Army team is also heading to the site,” said Bohara.

Meanwhile, a Nepali Army vehicle carrying a few personnel heading to the landslide-hit site from Khalanga Hydropower Project met with an accident.

“An NA vehicle skidded and ploughed into a roadside ditch,” said NA Major Tara Khadka. Three soldiers who were injured have returned to the barracks after treatment.

The landslide that struck at midnight yesterday swept away 18 houses, and damaged two houses. Seven persons have gone missing.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on July 5, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.