Five of a family and three of another family died in separate incidents in Kaski while a mother and son were killed in Syangja on Saturday and Sunday, according to spokesperson of Kaski Police Rabindra Gurung. [break]
Five family members of Purna Bahadur Sarki, including three daughters, were killed by a landslide that swept away Sarki´s house at Kristinachne chaur at midnight.
The bodies of Purna Bahadur, 30, his eight-month pregnant wife Maya, 27, daughters Pooja, 11, Priya, 9, and Priyanka, 2, were dragged out of the debris Sunday afternoon by a team of around 40 persons including Nepal Army, police and Red Cross that reached the village from Pokhara.
Locals said the house was swept away by the landslide that fell from 60 meters above at midnight. Sub inspector of Armed Police Force Jayaram Singh said rescue work was hampered by the fact that the house was situated on a slope far away from other houses in the village.
"We heard a noise in the night but thought it to be thunderstorms and didn´t come out. We knew of the incident only at six in the morning," Dharma Raj Poudel, a local, said.
The rescue team recovered Rs 22,000 from the debris. The money was a loan Sarki had taken from a bank in Pokhara for bringing electricity to his house. "He was preparing to leave for Pokhara today (Sunday) for getting electricity line," Poudel added.
Similarly, three children of Maila Damai were killed at Gahate of Mijuredanda VDC-8 when his house was buried by a landslide Sunday morning.
The deceased have been identified as twelve-year-old Rajendra Pariyar, seven-year-old Shobhakar and four-year-old daughter Sukmaya. Damai and his wife, however, escaped unscathed.
Likewise, Ganga Mahat, 27, and her four-year-old son Kushal died when a landslide swept away their house in Jogisthan of Phedikhola VDC in Syangja district Saturday night, according to our Palpa correspondent Tek Narayan Bhattarai.
Four members of the family, however, managed to escape. Police said the landslide hit only the rear part of the house where the mother and the son were sleeping.
Two swept away by Seti floods
Meanwhile, our Mahendranagar correspondent reports that two fishermen have gone missing while fishing in Seti river in Bajhang.
Mahesh Singh, 22, of Parakatne-1 and Bijuli Badi, 45, of Chainpur-1 have been missing from the Seti river near Rithapata VDC and confluence of Seti and Bauli river.
A kid has been swept away by a swollen Ganaha river in Bangesal VDC at the border of Dang and Pyuthan districts. Kale Gharti, five-year-old son of Shiva Lal has gone missing while his seven-year-old sister was rescued by locals.
Similarly, Shyam Adhikari his wife and three children were injured when their house in Lekhnath-9, Piple caved in due to the landslide Sunday morning. Two more houses were swept away in Lekhnath -11 but the family members were saved as they were away on a wedding nearby.
Landslide also swept away a house including a shop at Lahachowk VDC near Pokhara.
Two stories of a three-storey house of Him Lal Timilsina in Sarangkot-5 were destroyed by landslide at midnight. Six members of the family managed to escape as they were awake watching the World Cup football match between Germany and Uruguay.
Record rainfall in Pokhara
The Meteorological Forecasting Division (MFD) recorded the heaviest ever rainfall of July month in Pokhara on Sunday.
According to the Narayani Zone Basin Office of MFD, 267.67 mm rainfall was recorded in and around Pokhara during the period between Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.
"There was not as heaviest rainfall as this in any July in the past," meteorologist Nirajan Sapkota said. According to him, MFD had recorded only 150 mm rainfall at most in July in the past.
Generally, Pokhara receives an average of 360 mm rainfall throughout July. "The average rainfall of July is also forecast to be highest this time around," Sapkota said. The highest ever rainfall (357 mm) to this date was recorded on August 18, 2001," Sapkota said.
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