Panchthar, May 17 Dozens of houses are at high risk due to landslides following rainfall at Phalelung Rural Municipality in Panchthar. Continuous rainfall and mud slips since last afternoon swept away houses, bridges and road and destroyed seasonal crops. Landslide destroyed a house belonging to Teli Maya Rai and huts belonging to Man Kumar Rai at Bikate of the rural municipality. Transportation service was halted after a bridge over Nawamikhola and a culvert were swept away. Rural municipality Chairman Sancha Kumar Kerung said the landslides and mound soil had obstructed the road along Ektin-Memeng section. Similarly, landslides swept away 14 ropani cardamom fields belonging to Ran Bahadur Rai, four ropani of Arjen Rai, 13 ropani of Nar Bahadur Rai and four ropani of Laxman Rai in the rural municipality. The landslides also swept away maize and potatoes from Jas Bahadur Rai’s field, said police. Vice-chair Hima Adhikari said many houses would be at high risk of landslides if the rainfall continued. Some 51 houses were swept away and four persons had lost their lives there three years ago. A version of this article appears in e-paper on May 18, 2020 of The Himalayan Times.