05 Jul, 2020
By Sailendra Rokaya, Rising Nepal
Bajhang, July 5: The 18 families of Malleshi, Kedarsyu Rural Municiaplity-8 in the district who have been displaced after landslides tore through their village sweeping away their houses on Friday midnight have now faced problems of food, shelter and clothing.
As the rain has continued, other families of the village are also scared to stay in their houses in fear that the landslides may roll down again. Of the 65 families in the village, 18 families have been rendered homeless. The displaced families have been housed in the local Nawadeu Primary School.
As the road to the village has also been obstructed due to incessant rain, even relief materials to the victims from the local Jhota market has not reached the victims.
Suresh Jethara, a local, said, “It is very difficult to come to the village from outside. There is no road. Not only the displaced, even other families are unable to stay in homes due to fear of landslides.”
The landslides killed 6 persons while a person is still missing.
Ganesh Bohara, ward chair of Kedarsyu RM-8, said arrangement of food and shelter for the victims for a day had been made at Ghadyan Gau. He said those in the primary school were having food and shelter in a collective manner while those who went to Ghadyan Gau were provided with food and shelter by the locals.
Kamal Raj Bhandari, Chief District Officer of the district, said 8 quintal of rice, 37 pieces of tents and 40 pieces of blankets for landslides victims were flown to the incident site by a Nepali Army helicopter. He said arrangement was made to transport additional relief to the site.
Indra Bhandari, Chairman of the Kedarsyu RM, said the RM has decided to provide Rs. 35,000 to each of the families that lost members for conducting death rituals.
The landslides killed about 110 livestock.
Collective cremation of those killed by landslides
The villagers have conducted a collective cremation as per the Hindu manner of the 6 persons who were killed in the landslides.
When the landslides rolled down on Friday midnight from the Rato Pad Community forest located above the village, 6 persons were buried along with the houses under the mud. Of the 6 persons, 4 are from the same family. Rising Nepal