Nepal landslide, flood kill at least 47, scores missing

Kathmandu, June 11: At least 47 people were killed and 80 injured when a landslide swept away a number of villages of Taplejung district in Nepal, officials said.

Many more were reported missing in the disaster on Wednesday evening. Police said 16 bodies had been recovered.
This disaster has hit the Himalayan nation comes weeks after it was devastated by two earthquakes that left more than 8,000 people dead.

At least six villages Liwang, Thokling, Thinglabu, Khalung, Khokling and Lingket in the remote area of Nepal were affected by the landslips. These villages are located in a remote area from the district headquarter, Myaglung, and it takes at least nine hours to reach the spot.

"As of now, people have recovered the bodies of 16 people and they told us that 50 others have perished in the landslide," said Surendra Prasad Bhattarai, assistant chief district officer of Taplejung.

The number of casualties likely to go up. Continuous rains and flash floods in the streams have hampered rescue efforts, police said.

Locals and police personnel are involved in the rescue work. Most of affected people are yet to get medical treatment.

Torrential rain in the Taplejung region caused the Mewa and Tamor rivers to burst their banks, triggering the landslides.

Landslides are common during Nepal's monsoon season, which begins this month and lasts until September.

OneIndia News (With inputs from agency)