Loss of properties is yet to be calculated as security personnel launch search operation to find missing persons

BAGLUNG, Sept 3: At least 14 people have been killed and 38 others have gone missing after a massive flood in the Bhuji River in Dhorpatan Municipality swept away a human settlement on Wednesday night. 

The rain-triggered flood washed off at least 31 houses along the bank of the river at Wards 7, 8 and 9 of the municipality, according to Spokesperson at District Police Office, Baglung DSP Rajendra Regmi. “The human casualties in the incident is huge. Loss of properties is yet to be calculated,” Regmi said. 

Of the 14 mortal remains excavated by late afternoon on Thursday, five are of males and nine others are of females. So far, only the dead body of Keshmaya BK, 26, of Ward 9 has been identified.

The dead bodies swept away by the swollen river downstream were recovered from various places of Dhorpatan Municipality, Badigad Rural Municipality in Baglung and Chandrakot Rural Municipality and Musikot Municipality in Gulmi district. 

Chief District Officer (CDO) of Baglung Suresh Neupane, who visited the incident site on Thursday to launch the rescue operation, said finding the bodies of missing persons in the flood is not easy as most of them were swept away in the night itself. The incident site lies 130km west of the district headquarters of Baglung.

Most of the houses that were swept away by the swollen river are found to have been built less than 50 meters away from the watercourse of the river. The flood washed away the areas as far as 100 meters on either side of the river. “Identification of the dead bodies has become difficult as they are bruised and mutilated beyond recognition,” Chief District Officer Neupane said. 

In addition to 31 residential buildings, two school buildings of local Saraswati Basic School and Jana Chetana School, a health post building in Lakuribot, four power houses in Bhauji Khola and three suspension bridges were also washed away by the swollen river. Local government officials said livestock and some vehicles were also swept away by the flood.

Bhusunde, Dunepokhara and Lakuribot areas are among the worst-affected by the flood triggered by incessant rainfall that began on Tuesday evening. 

A joint team of Nepal Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force personnel has been mobilized to launch search and rescue operations. They reached the incident site on Thursday morning as the road leading to the incident site was obstructed by the landslide in several places. 

 
• Baglung
 
• Flood
 
• Dhorpatan_Municipality