Baglung, July 13, 2007

Twenty-six persons were killed when landslides triggered by heavy rains in Baglung and Bajura districts swept away their houses last night and this morning.

Landslides at three places in Baglung killed 21 persons last night, while five persons were buried in a landslide in Bajura this morning. Seven persons were killed when a landslide swept away six houses at Dhawa in Baglung’s Gwalichaur VDC-1, DSP Pawan Kharel at the Baglung district police office said.

He said the dead were Shivalal Sinjali, Sachin Thapa, Dhan Bahadur Thapa, Khadak Bahadur Thapa, Amuna Rana, Kabiram BK and an unidentified woman. Five persons, including Keshav Thapa and Khal Bahadur Thapa of Dhawa, are missing, police said.

Police and locals rescued 17 persons from the site, while an army helicopter that flew in from the capital lifted the injured to hospitals in Baglung and Pokhara. Some of the injured are in critical condition. Another landslide at Simak in Gwalichaur VDC killed six persons. Parvati Teli Magar, Narmaya Teli Magar, Tilmaya Teli Magar, Chandra Kala Teli Magar, Deumaya Teli Magar and the wife of Padam Bahadur Budathoki were killed there, DSP Kharel said.

A third landslide at Jaljala VDC-6 killed eight persons including Dil Bahadur Darlami and his three daughters. The identities of the other four have not been ascertained, VDC secretary Thaman Regmi said.

No details of the damage have arrived yet, Regmi said, adding that villagers were taking shelter in a school.

BPK’s widow dies at 84

Sushila Koirala, the widow of the legendary Nepali Congress leader, BP Koirala, died this morning at the Om Nursing Home here. She was 84 and suffering from complications related to blood pressure.

She was cremated in the evening at the Pashupati Aryaghat where leaders and hundreds of Nepali Congress (NC) workers paid their last respects.

Prominent among them were NC President and Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, founding member of the Nepali Congress, Krishna Prasad Bhattarai and leaders of other parties, including NC (D) President Sher Bahadur Deuba, Rastriya Janashakti Party President Surya Bahadur Thapa and Rastriya Prajatantra Party leader Lokendra Bahadur Chand. King Gyanendra’s chief secretary Pashupati Bhakta Maharjan, Chief Election Commissioner Bhojraj Pokharel and chiefs of the army and Nepal Police also attended the funeral.

UML leader and Speaker, Subas Nembang, Maoist leader and minister Hishila Yami and left leaders Lilamani Pokharel and CP Mainali also paid tributes to the departed soul. Cadres of NC’s sister organisations and the general public thronged the Aryaghat.

UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal and Maoist chairman Prachanda were, however, not seen in the funeral.