Six of the seven dead are from two families. While Bhim Bahadur Tamang, who was living in a rented room in Khimti bazaar with his family, was killed along with his mother and wife, Sher Bahadur Thapa, a resident of Khimti VDC-4, lost his wife and two children. Thapa survived the tragedy as he was not home. In another landslide, a 12-year-old girl was buried to death. [break]
According to Ramechhap´s Chief District Officer (CDO) Gopal Prasad Parajuli, Tamang, 55, originally from Rasnalu VDC of Ramechhap district, was buried to death along with his 75-year-old mother Budu Maya and 45-year-old wife Batuli.
Bhim Bahadur´s son Dhalke Tamang has gone missing in the landslide. Bhim Bahadur´s daughters Aaimala and Maimala and six-year-old son Hyambe were injured in the landslide. They were covered with debris but rescued alive by the local people.
As the landslide buried Thapa´s house, his 45-year-old wife Mithu, 23-year-old daughter Swasthani and 13-year-old son Kedar were buried to death. Thapa´s oldest son Bharat, 20, who was sleeping on the ground floor, was injured. As he works in India, Thapa was not home when the tragedy struck his family.
Thapa´s son Bharat who survived the tragedy says his house was first crushed under the debris and swept away by flood. “My mother, sister and brother were buried under debris,” said Thapa. “I was not crushed under the debris. I was swept away.”
According to CDO Thapa, around 10 houses were buried and swept away by landslides and flood caused by heavy rainfall that began in Ramchhap from Monday night. By Tuesday morning, landslide and flood had already caused a huge damage.
Meanwhile, an emergency meeting of District Disaster Relief Committee of Ramechhap decided to provide Rs 40,000 in immediate relief to the families of those killed and Rs 20,000 to those whose houses were damaged by flood and landslides.
“Who will look after us?”
The devastating flood and landslides in Khimti have orphaned Bhim Bahadur Tamang´s three children.
Tamang, originally from Rasnalu VDC of Ramechhap district, had moved to Kirne bazaar of Dolakha district four years ago after he failed to pay off the loan he had taken to build a house in the village.
Tamang had five children. After he moved to Kirne bazaar, his youngest son was adopted by a family.
Only a couple of days ago, Tamang had shifted to Khimti bazaar with his family of seven to work as a laborer on Khimit-Farpu-Betali road project. Tamang´s wife used to crush stones to support her husband.
After Tuesday morning´s tragedy, Tamang´s daughters Aaimala, Maimala and Hyambe are left to fend for themselves. They are studying in grade 8, 7 and 4 respectively at Trikuteshwor Secondary School in Dolakha. With the deaths of their parents, they are not certain whether they can continue with their study. They have lost their brother Dhalke, too.
“We were all asleep,” Maimala recalls the tragedy. “Suddenly, father woke all of us saying we were hit by an earthquake. As soon as he opened the door to flee, we were covered with debris.”
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