Sai Bahadur Biswakarma, a resident of Jamune VDC-1 in Tanahu district, lost his 24-year-old wife Rupa Biswakarma, eight-year-old daughter Purnima, six-year-old daughter Debiya and 15-year-old sister Samjhana when a landslide swept away his house in the wee hours. [break]
Rupa´s neighbors 20-year-old Sushma Biswakarma, 15-year-old Durga Biswakarma and two-year-old Rekha Biswakarma were also buried to death. They were sleeping in Rupa´s house Wednesday night.
Sai Bahadur, who works in Hyderabad of India, has lost his entire family.
Relatives mourn close ones in Tanahun. (Photo: Samundra Poudel)
“All the seven dead were buried under a stone-and-clay wall that collapsed due to the landslide,” said Police DSP Gautam Raj Kattel. “We could not rescue any one as we received the information late.”
A police team deployed from District Police Office of Tanahu, Damauli, had swung into rescue action only at 9 a.m.
The villagers were blissfully unaware of the calamity until dawn when Sushma´s mother-in-law Chija Maya went to Rupa´s house to wake them up.
“I went to Rupa´s house after my daughter-in-law failed to return even after I had finished all the morning chores,” said Chija Maya. “I knocked on the door. No one responded. When I peeped in through a window, I saw everyone buried under the debris.”
The house that collapsed in the landslide was built by Sai Bahadur just three months ago. “My daughter´s family had shifted to their new house just two months ago,” said Rupa´s mother Tika Maya Biswakarma. “The house collapsed even before my daughter had paid off the loan incurred building it.”
Rupa had taken a loan of Rs 5,000 from a local cooperative.
Gam Bahadur, the husband of Sushma who was also killed in the house collapse, had gone to Himanchal, India only one week ago.
Similarly, three people were buried in another landslide, in Hatiya VDC-3 of Baglung district.
Pabitra Khatri, Pabitra Sunar and her son Sudip were buried in the landslide. Pabitra Sunar and her son were living in a rented room at Khatri´s house.
Pabitra was found dead later on. Her son Sudip and Pabitra Khatri are missing.
Pabitra´s husband Tek Bahadur Khatri, who drives a jeep along the Baglung-Galkot road, survived as he was away from home Thursday night.
“She was with me till Wednesday evening at a rented house in Hatiya VDC-4,” Tek Bahadur said. “I asked her to stay where we were. But she was determined to return home.”
Similarly, fear of landslides following incessant rain has displaced around 15 households in Hatiya VDC alone. “Around 15 households have abandoned their houses,” said Khatri. “They are sheltering with neighbors.”
Related story
Food crisis looms large as drought hits Madhesh districts
