Landslide kills six in Kaski

Pokhara, Aug. 18 (RSS): Six persons were killed when the house of Sukadev Baral at ward No. 1, Sanyasi Danda of Arba Bijaya VDC, was buried in landslide that occurred at 2 a.m. last night. The landslide was triggered by heavy downpour since Friday afternoon.

Nepal Police, the Royal Nepalese Army and the local people are involved in rescue operation and bodies of all those killed in the incident have been found, according to the district police office, Kaski.

Those killed in the incident are Raju Baral, son of house-owner Sukadev Baral, his daughter-in-law Laxmi Baral and three grandchildren— Jivan Baral, Madhu Baral and Sabin Baral, according to local reporter Shiromani Baral.

Govinda Chapagain of Bharatpokhari VDC, Kaski district, who had come to invite his sister Laxmi Baral for the Teej festival, also died in the incident.

However, Sukadev Baral, the owner of the house, was lucky enough to be away in another village and escaped the tragedy. He had gone to Dharmi village to invite his daughter over for the Teej festival.

It is learnt that the house of Bhoj Bahadur Baniya, neighbour of Sukadev Baral, is also in a precarious condition. It might be swept away by the landslide anytime, according to local reporter Shiromani Baral.

The landslide has also damaged a portion of the Kahunkhola-Arba Mauja district level rural road, Kaski District Development Committee (DDC) chairman Srinath Baral said after making an inspection of the area.

Similarly, the landslide has buried the cow shed of one Balram Sigdel at ward No. 4 of the same VDC. The landslide has also blocked the Kanhukhola-Dudh Pokhari road.

The incessant downpour has also caused a section of the road at Nadipur of Pokhara to cave in. Five houses have also developed cracks on the walls due to the rain.

A dozor has been sent to clear a portion of the Pokhara-Sunauli road at local Pumdi-Bhumdi village which was blocked by landslide, according to Chief District Officer Tikaram Aryal.

Pokhara was literally drenched yesterday. According to the Narayani Basin office of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology Pokhara got a record 357 millimeters of rain since 5 p.m. yesterday till 8:15 a.m. today.

Eight dolphins found in Kailali district

Kailali, Aug. 18 (RSS): A study conducted by a team of experts from the Royal Bardiya National Park has found eight dolphins (Sushus) in various rivers and streams in Kailali district.

The study team in one of its search operation in the Kada river which flows through ward No. 4 of local Dhapapur Village Development Committee found two dolphins at Bardawa Ghat, the confluence of the Kada and Pathraiya rivers and six more at Kusumghat, the confluence of the Mohana and the Kada rivers, some 500 downstream of Bardewa Ghat.

This information was given by wildlife expert Dr. Shanta Raj Gyawali who is leading the team. The study team had started its excursions in two groups, each group taking a raft from Mohanpur Ghat.

A local wildlife conservationist Bhoj Raj Shrestha was quoted as saying that some dolphins also dwell at Modiyaghat, about 3 or 4 kilometres west of Kusumghat. Although the team could not reach up to Madiyaghat area, team leader Dr. Gyawali said that the team will begin a detailed survey of the area in the near future.

The study team comprised Ranger Naresh Subedi, senior game scout Jit Bahadur Khadka, the representative of Royal Nepalese Army Battalion at Barakh, nature guides of the tiger tops, technical officials of the King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation and local conservationist Bhoj Raj Shrestha.

The dolphins are said to move into the tributaries from the big rivers during the monsoon to keep themselves safe from the flooded rivers.

These dolphins which are seen in the Pathraiya, Kanara, Kada and Mohana rivers during the rainy season might have come from the Kailashpuri barrage area in India, some 15 kilometres south of the Nepal-India border.

However, wildlife conservationists have pointed out that construction of big irrigation dams along the rivers, many temporary bridges constructed over these rivers during the winter, excessive fishing and lack of public awareness on nature conservation are some of the problems in the way of conservation of dolphins.

Five shops looted in Nuwakot

Nuwakot, Aug. 18 (RSS): A group of robbers have looted property worth Rs 300,000 from five different shops in Nuwakot district, including four shops near the Tadi bridge in Belkot VDC, Ward No. 1 and one shop at Belkot Birtamod, Thursday night.

According to reports, a group of about 20/25 persons from Kathmandu who got there on a private vehicle at 1 a.m. Thursday night, broke into the shop belonging to Ram Prasad Pandey at Birtamod, thrashed the shopkeeper and his brother and took away Rs 52,000 in cash and 12 tola gold from them.

According to his family sources shopkeeper Ram Prasad Pandey who was beaten up by the robbers has been taken to the T.U. Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu for treatment while his brother Krishna Prasad Pandey has deep wounds all over his body.

Similarly, the robbers are learnt to have looted property worth Rs 150,000 from the shops of Krishna Kumar Gajurel and Bishnulal Shrestha at Tadi bridge.

The robbers also manhandled the driver of a truck (Na. 2 Kha. 6040) and a businessman from local Battar bazar who was also travelling on the truck Thursday night before escaping to Kathmandu in their own vehicle.

Local people say that the robbers chanted pro-Maoist slogans after the incident.

Police has initiated investigation in this connection.

Women traffickers arrested

Siraha, Aug. 18 (RSS): The Ilaka police office, Lahan has arrested a group of five youths from Udayapur district for indulging in women trafficking.

The five persons were arrested last Thursday during a raid carried out at the house of Suk Bahadur Lama at ward No. 8, Dhangadhi Village Development Committee (VDC), Siraha district on the basis of a tip-off that they had kept three girls from their village at Lama’s house whom they wanted to sell off to brothels in India.

The police team under the command of Police Inspector Abhusan Timilsina raided the house of Suk Bahadur Lama at ward No. 8, Dhangadhi VDC of Siraha district and arrested the youths and the three girls.

Those arrested in this connection are 19-year-old Mahendra Tamang, 20-year-old Rup Bahadur Tamang, 33-year-old Jut Bahadur Tamang, 33-year-old Bal Bahadur Tamang and Amar Bahadur Tamang, all residents of Iname village development committee in Udayapur district.

They had lured the girls— 22-year-old Udaya Kumari Lama, 20-year-old Phul Maya Tamang and 18-year-old Sita Kumari Tamang— saying that they would marry them but had actually intended to traffic them to India.

The youths and the girls are being interrogated by police.

Meanwhile, the police van carrying the arrested youths and the girls to the district police office, Lahan met with an accident on the Mahendra Highway at Dhangadhi VDC-2 near the zero line due to a broken steering wheel.

However, there were no serious injuries except for a few slight injuries. Those injured were taken to Lahan hospital for treatment.