Number Of Missing People In Flooding, Landslides On Rise As Monsoon Begins

At least five persons are missing in the flood that occurred in Hewakhola after a heavy rainfall occurred since last night in Panchthar district.

The missing ones are workers of Hewakhola Hydropower Project-I Dil Kumar Tamang of Hilihang Rural Municipality-7 and Sanjog Lowa of Phidim Municipality-10.

Likewise, Ashish Majhi and Alisha Majhi of Phidim are also missing in the flood.

Identity of next one missing in the flood is not ascertained as yet.

The Hewakhola bridge linking Phidim-4 and Hilihang-7 along the Mechi Highway is also washed away, completely disrupting the vehicular movement along the highway, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Hari Khatiwada.

A belli bridge along the Tamor corridor has also collapsed after the flood.

Police said that a motorable bridge in Phalelung Rural Municipality-3 is also destroyed in the flood.

Similarly, four persons including three of a single family have gone missing in separate incidents of landslide taken place in Mehel village of Sidingwa Rural Municipality, Taplejung, following a heavy rain since last night.

Kamal Kadariya, a local resident, said that Bhagimaya Budhathoki, her daughter-in-law Sandhya and sandhya's son Prajwal are missing in the landslide after their house collapsed in the landslide.

Likewise, Bharat Tamang has gone missing in a separate landslide in the same village. Tamang went missing in the landslip while returning after shifting his parents to a safe zone from their house, which is on the bank of river.

Vice-Chairperson of Sidingwa Rural Municipality Bandana Kadariya said that a team of police personnel is heading to the disaster area from Sablakhu Police Post.

A house of Raj Kumar Gautam is also washed away in the landslide at Mehel while next three houses are at risk of landslide.

A building of the Mehel Health Post is completely destroyed in the landslide.

Continuous rain is taking place at Sidingwa and Sirijungha area in the district since last night.

The landslides taken place at different place has disrupted several road networks in the village and the power supply is disrupted at Yamphudin, Khewang, Mehel, Surumkhim, Angkhop and other villages.

Likewise, Dovanbazaar is at high risk of inundation after the flood in Maiwakhola (river) while some houses in the Dovanbazaar have been damaged.

The Chaitanya Budhathoki (a local teacher in the village) said that some houses have been inundated in the swollen Ingwakhola (river). The flood has also caused damages to the Ingwakhola Hydropower Project.

Details of the disaster in the district are awaited.

In Sankhuwasabha, seven houses were flooded and 17 labourers of Super Hewakhola Hydropower Project went missing after a flood occurred in Hewakhola river last night, according to the District Police Office.

Chief of Sankhuwasabha District Police Office Birendra Godar said that dead body of a project's worker was recovered on the bank of river in Panchkhapan Municipality-5 but the identity of the body is not confirmed so far.

The flood occurred in the river after the heavy rain since last night has completely damaged the Super Hewakhola Hydropower Project.

Likewise, the flood has caused damages to an under-construction motorable bridge connecting Panchkhapan to Chainpur in the district.

Chief District Officer Shiva Kumar Karki and chiefs of security bodies in the district have left for the affected site.

Details of the disaster are awaited.