Rajbiraj, August 10

More than 300 houses in dozen villages have been inundated due to the flooded Khadokhola. Incessant rainfall for the past two days in Rajbiraj, Saptari had caused flooding in the river. One person has gone missing.

Fifty-five-year-old Domi Yadav of Deuri Bharuwa, Rajbiraj, was swept away while he was repairing a dam that was damaged by the flooded river. Yadav was repairing the dam along with Nepali Army, Nepal Police personnel and locals when he was swept away by the flood, according to District Police Office Saptari SP Mukesh Kumar Singh.

Search for the missing Yadav has been intensified and divers from Itahari-based Nepali Army Battalion have been deployed, said Singh.

Settlements at Biraul, Bheriya, Koiladi Tilathi, Koiladi Basain, Rampura Malhaniya, Deuri Bharuwa, Sakarapur, Launiya, among other areas have been inundated with flood waters. The locals said that more than 300 houses in these areas have been inundated while paddy planted in hundreds of bigaha land has been destroyed. Vehicular movement along the Tilathi-Rajbiraj road section has also been obstructed.

Chief District Officer Krishna Bahadur Katuwal, Nepali Army Bhimdal Battalion Chief Surendra Dev Bogati, Nepal Police SP Singh, Armed Police Force Border Security Office SP Ramadhar Yadav, among others, have been engaged in rescue and relief distribution from morning.

Meanwhile, with the soaring water level in the Saptakoshi River triggered by incessant rainfall in the eastern hill districts, the red light signifying danger has gone up.  A red flag is hoisted and a red light is flashed at the barrage when the water level crosses 1.5 lakh cusec per second. The water level was recorded at 2.5 lakh cusecs per second in the barrage today.

Of the 56 sluice gates of the barrage, 30 have been opened. The water level has been going up every hour due to incessant rainfall.