10 people missing in eastern Nepal landslides yet to be traced

The whereabouts of around 10 people who went missing after landslides triggered by heavy rainfall hit a remote village and highway in eastern Nepal districts Satnkhuwasabha and Ilam are still not known.

Two people – Dilmaya Rai, 52, and Krishna Ghimire, 45 - have gone missing since a landslide swept away a house belonging to Som Kumar Rai in a remote Dhapu VDC in Sankhuwasabha Monday night. Rai and Ghimire, who were staying in the house as guests, are feared dead. Three people were killed in the incident - Usha Rai, 22, Samala Rai, 12 and an 18-month old toddler named Pratap. While Usha Rai is the wife of Som Kumar, Samala and Pratap are his sister and son.

Som Kumar and his sister Kamala were themselves pulled out from wreckage in an unconscious state. The two are currently undergoing treatment at Dharan-based BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences are said to be in serious condition.

Meanwhile, the whereabouts of eight persons who went missing in Sunday’s landslide on Mechi highway in Ilam are still unknown. A rescue team led by the Nepal Army stopped searching for the missing people Tuesday evening after losing all hopes of finding them alive. The bodies of six people have been recovered from the debris so far. nepalnews.com