(From left) A relative consoling Pawan, Pawan's house brought down by the landslide and Kumar.
POKHARA: Six members of a family died when a landslide in Puranchaur of Pokhara-19 swept away the house of Kul Bahadur Pariyar on Thursday night. Kul Bahadur Pariyar’s son Pawan (17), who was also in the house, miraculously survived.
Pawan, now in deep shock and barely able to speak, has lost his entire family except for a sister who is currently in Japan.
The landslide took the lives of Pawan’s father Kul Bahadur (46), mother Man Kumari (43), grandmother Lakshima (85), sisters Prashna (15) and Prabha (20), and brother-in-law Ashmit. He also lost his aunt Radhika (56) in the landslide.
Radhika was in her house when debris from Pawan’s house flowed into her house. Other members of Radhika’s family are safe.
Prabha had arrived at her maternal home with her husband Ashmit on Thursday itself. The couple, living in a rented apartment in Ganesh Tole, had come to the village to observe a landslide near Pawan’s house. The two had visited the landslide site with Pawan and Kumar on Thursday afternoon.
Pawan’s eldest sister Muna left for Japan for employment seven months ago.
Pawan, a tenth grader, sustained minor injuries to his back. He was half-buried in the debris when his cousin Kumar arrived for the rescue.
Kumar, who got injured while rescuing Pawan, said he heard a loud rumbling sound as he was about to sleep. “When I came out, I saw my uncle’s house moving down with landslide debris. I found Pawan half-buried near the door,” Kumar said.
