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Kathmandu Friday June 29, 2001 Ashadh 15, 2058.
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33 killed in Dhading landslide
Rescue operations underway; toll could
climb higher
By Sitaram Prasad Verma
DHADINGBENSI, June 28 - At least 33 people, most of them from
the same community, were killed Tuesday night when a huge landslide caved in on a
remote mountain settlement of Satyadevi village in northern Dhading district, reports said
Thursday.
Of them, 28 people - three of them from the same family -
were found buried under rubbles of a house, which was hit by the sudden mountainslide,
while five others were swept away by the swollen Kalchet river, according to the police.
The details were sketchy, and officials said the toll could
climb higher after more reports pour in from the remote village, which lies about 25
kilometres north of here, the district headquarters.
Police said quoting eyewitnesses that the victims were
waiting for the torrential rains to subside inside Sukmaya Tamang’s house when the
landslide hit the house all of a sudden. All of them were returning home after the day’s
hard work in the paddy fields located on the banks of Kalchet river.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of Dhading said that
five people, who were also returning home from the day’s work in the Ropain field,
went missing while crossing the flooded river on that fateful evening.
Locals recovered all 28 bodies from the debris while bodies
of the five washed away by the river was found in the downstream area at Kintang Phedi
Thursday.
After receiving information of the fatal incident, a rescue
team led by Minister of State for Home Affairs, Hari Prasad Sapkota, Members of Parliament
of Dhading 1 and 2 constituencies, Buddhiman Tamang and Ramnath Adhikari respectively,
Chief District Officer (CDO), Anetra Prasad Sharma, and police officials visited the site
by helicopter this morning.
CDO Sharma told The Kathmandu Post that the rescue team
provided with Rs 238,000 to the bereaved families as immediate relief from the National
Natural Disaster Relief Fund (NNDRF). Sharma said Rs 10,000 was provided to the relatives
of each of the deceased and an additional amount of Rs 4,000 to those who were from the
same family.
Lawmaker Tamang and Adhikari have expressed deep sorrow over
the tragic demise of such a large number of people in a single natural disaster and
expressed their heart-felt condolences to the bereaved families.
Meanwhile, in the Capital, a meeting was held under the
chairmanship of Deputy Prime Minister Ram Chandra Poudel took stock of the natural
disaster that occurred during the previous years and assessed the rescue operations
carried out in the past.
According to a press release issued by Home Ministry
spokesperson, the meeting also held discussions on the ways to minimize natural disasters
likely to occur in the future. The meeting has decided to make all government agencies
fully-prepared to cope with any impending natural disasters.
CDO Sharma have identified those perished in the natural
disaster as Yojom Tamang, Maila Tamang, Kuiri Tamang, Chi Jom Tamang, Krishna Tamang,
Deshimaya Tamang, Urba Tamang, Pinke Tamang, Dharmen Tamang and Sekya Tamang, Mala Lama
Tamang, Chojon Tamang, Shambhu Tamang, Poijen Lamo Tamang, Maruwati Tamang, Garbe Tamang,
Kake Tamang, Mayawati Tamang, Menchalmo Tamang, Urcha Lamo Tamang, Kasawati Tamang, Kanch
Jon Tamang and Kami Lama Tamang.
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