PHIDIM: More than half dozen schools have remained closed for around three weeks due to the damages caused to the buildings and the roads by the landslides in Phalelung Rural Municipality-2 and 3 of Panchthar district.

Over half dozen schools including the Motiram Secondary School and the Kholaghari-based Siddhakali Basic School have remained closed.

The schools are unable to operate the classes since the landslide debris and rubbles from the buried buildings have not been cleared yet, Siddhakali Basic School Principal Kumari Rai said.

It is stated that the school was shut as the roads to access the school were blocked by the mudslide and 41 families in the locality were also displaced owing to it. The school has 28 students from the displaced families.

According to District Education Office's resource person Chakra Pandey who had gone for an onsite inspection, the road sections to the schools have remained disrupted and suspension bridges were also swept away by the landslide.

Similarly, the school management committee chair Som Kumar Rai shared that though they had planned to resume the school from Sunday, they failed in their plan due to the incessant rainfall.