Rolpa: A landslide swept away houses in the remote Thawang village of Rolpa district in western Nepal, resulting in the deaths of at least five people and leaving eight others missing, a senior official reported to Anadolu on Thursday. The devastating event has left the small community grappling with rescue efforts amid challenging conditions.
According to TRTworld.com, locals have managed to recover the bodies of five out of the 15 individuals initially reported missing following the landslide. Two people sustained injuries, while the whereabouts of the remaining eight individuals remain unknown. Rishi Keshav Budha Magar, chairperson of Thawang Rural Municipality, which encompasses the affected area, stated that the landslide occurred around 8 pm on Wednesday, sweeping away 11 homes and livestock sheds on the mountainous terrain.
Thawang, historically recognized as a stronghold of Maoist insurgents during the conflict that concluded with a peace agreement in 2006, now faces the harsh realities of natural d
isasters. Rescue operations are hampered by the remote location’s poor connectivity; as a result, rescuers are struggling to reach the landslide site. “Since the landslide-affected area is not well connected to the road network, excavators mobilised for rescue couldn’t reach there,” Magar explained, highlighting the logistical challenges faced by the rescue teams. The Chief District Officer and Magar himself are traversing the area on foot to aid in the rescue and recovery efforts.
Personnel from the Armed Police Force and Nepal Police have initiated search and rescue operations in an attempt to locate those still missing. The incident underscores the vulnerability of remote regions in Nepal, where poorly developed infrastructure and inadequate disaster preparedness contribute to the high fatality rate during the monsoon season, which spans from June to September.
As of Wednesday, monsoon-related disasters such as landslides, floods, and heavy rains have claimed the lives of 43 people, according to the Nati
onal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, the governmental body in charge of disaster response.