Dhangadi, August 20

Search and rescue of persons swept away by Tuesday’s flood in Kailashkhola of Achham continues.

The floods that occurred at night had caused huge damage to life and property in Sainibazaar of Ramaroshan Rural Municipality in the district.

According to Chief District Officer Gokarna Upadhyaya, so far bodies of six of the 16 persons missing in the floods have been recovered and identified.

The deceased have been identified as Nabin Saud, 12, Gauri Shah, 32, Chandra Saud, 48, Lalsara Shahi, 40, and Amar Shahi, 45, of Sainibazaar, Ramaroshan Rural Municipality-5, and Babita Budha Saud, 32, a resident of Achham’s Panchadeval Vinayak Rural Municipality who had visited her parental home in Sainibazaar,” said CDO Upadhyaya.

The CDO said search for 11 other persons who had gone missing was under way.

“In order to search for missing persons, we’re coordinating with the authorities in Doti and Kailali too,” he said.

The floods have swept away 22 homes and caused damage to nine suspension bridges and five micro-hydropower projects.

Similarly, four motorbikes and two light vehicles, including an ambulance and a large number of cattle, were also swept away.

A pregnant woman of ward 7 of Ramaroshan Rural Municipality, who was injured in the floods, was rescued with a helicopter and taken to Surkhet for further treatment.

Meanwhile, Sudurpashchim Province government has decided to provide Rs 100,000 to the families of persons who died in floods, landslides and inundation across the province. The decision was taken by a Cabinet meeting convened today.

Similarly, a decision has been taken to provide Rs 10 million to the Disaster Management Fund of all the nine districts of the province as immediate relief for disaster victims.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on August 21, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.