Landslides displace 30 families in Ilam

ILAM, July 2: Landslides triggered by incessant rainfall in the southern part of Ilam district has displaced 30 households of Shantipur VDC on Tuesday night.

The landslides swept away some of the houses and damaged others.

According to District Police Office (DPO), Ilam, the landslides have wreaked in various VDCs and municipalities of the district. Of them, Shantipur has been hit the hardest due to its weak geographical structure. The losses caused by the landslides have yet to be ascertained.

"Although we continue to receive reports of the damage caused by landslides, causalities in Shantipur is by far the largest," said Inspector Yam Poudel. "As per the preliminary report, 30 families have been rendered homeless. The numbers, however, may go up," he added.Gyanendra Adhikari, a local of Shantipur, said it is rare to find households in the village left unaffected by landslides. "Houses and sheds damaged by landslide are a common sight," he added.

As many as 50 landslides have occurred along Tinghare -Shantipur -Barfalang road section alone. This has also damaged many transmission lines and affected power supply, informed Adhikari. It also damaged pipelines laid by a water project at Shantipur-4.

Many landslides victims have yet to receive relief materials, informed the police. Ilam chapter of Red Cross Society has provided 30 pieces of tarpaulins to the landslide victims.

"We have distributed one tarpaulin per household. More relief materials will be distributed soon," informed Basanta Timilsina of the Red Cross.

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