International Desk, 19 June: As many as 5 people were dead while several others were injured following rain-induced landslides in four districts of Eastern Nepal on Monday.
Five people have reportedly been confirmed dead since Saturday night’s heavy downpour in Nepal’s Sankhuwasabha, Taplejung, Panchthar and Dhankuta Districts which caused destruction and casualties.
“Two people have been confirmed dead in Panchthar, one each in Sankhuwasabha, Taplejung and Dhankuta District,” (Nepal Landslide) the Provincial District Police record stated as reported by ANI.
“21 people are unaccounted for in Sankhuwasabha while 4 are reported missing in Panchthar and 3 in Taplejung District since Saturday night,” the Provincial District Police said.
During the monsoon season, Nepal has seen a number of disasters brought on by torrential rains that resulted in landslides, flooding and inundation. The monsoon started in Nepal last week and is expected to spread throughout the entire nation by the weekend which will lead to an increase in mortality during the coming weeks.
When speaking to the federal parliament in Kathmandu on Sunday, Nepal’s Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Prakash Jwala noted that torrential downpours had caused a significant loss of property in Eastern Nepal.
“Eastern Nepal’s different districts specially Taplejung, Panchthar, Sankhuwasabha and Terhathum have faced extensive damage to properties due to the flood and landslide. Road connections and belly-bridge in those districts have witnessed damages and many more roads have been disrupted,” Jwala said.
He also let the parliament know that there are ongoing search, rescue and relief efforts going on in the impacted areas.
“The government is carrying out the works for search and rescue of the missing ones and those reeling under the catastrophe in those districts. In those areas, the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force, Nepal Police as well as government officials are involved in the search, rescue and relief efforts,” the minister added.
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority predicted earlier this month that this year’s monsoon will have an impact on 1.25 million people.
“An estimated 1.298 million individuals from 286,998 households will be affected by the disaster,” the disaster management authority stated in its projection.
It is estimated that 400,000 people will be affected in Madhesh province and 300,000 people in Koshi province. According to NDRRMA, an estimated 200,000 individuals will be affected in Lumbini Province, 100,000 in Bagmati Province, 147,000 in Sudurpaschim Province, 69,000 in Gandaki Province, and 35,000 in Karnali Province due to the disaster. Around 2 million people were affected last year.
An action plan has also been approved by the NDRRMA which includes an analysis of monsoon monsoon-related risks and the assessment of their impacts, as well as the involvement of various ministries and relevant sectors, non-governmental organizations like the Nepal Red Cross, in working on disaster management, search, rescue, and distribution of relief materials.
Also read: Around 100 Houses Damaged As Heavy Rain Triggers Landslides In Sikkim