Floods, landslides kill 18 in Gandaki, damage homes, roads, bridges

POKHARA: Incessant rainfall over the past three days in Nepal has caused a huge loss of life and property in Gandaki Province.

During this period, 18 people lost their lives to floods and landslides in the province, while four are missing and three others sustained injuries.

According to casualty details compiled by the Gandaki Province Police Office, Baglung suffered the highest loss of life, with 10 fatalities reported. Six people died in Myagdi and two in Manang.

Flooding in the Kaligandaki and Marsyangdi rivers has caused erosion in several areas, while landslides on various road sections of the Pokhara-Baglung Road, Siddhartha Highway and the Prithvi Highway have disrupted traffic. Floodwaters caused damage to the Maldhunga bridge on the Mid-Hills Highway over the Kaligandaki River which connects Parbat and Baglung districts. The Kaligandaki flood also swept away a concrete bridge connecting Mirmi of Kaligandaki Rural Municipality-7 of Syangja with Harmichaur of Gulmi. Power transmission towers were damaged in multiple locations.

Four members of a family killed

Shyam Kumari BK, 36, and her three sons died when a mound of earth collapsed on their home in In Nisikhola-3 of Baglung following heavy rain.

Assistant Chief District Officer of Baglung Ganga Lal Subedi said a landslide buried them at around 3:45 a.m. on Sunday, while they were sleeping. The deceased sons were identified as Manoj, 13, Ukesh, 9, and Nishan BK, 3.

Shyam Kumari’s eldest daughter, Muskan, 14, survived as she was staying at her grandparents’ house.

The tragic loss of four family members has left the entire village mourning. The bodies were cremated on Sunday itself.

Also on Sunday, Buddhi Raj Gharti, 80, and Bhim Gharti, 65, died in Tamankhola Rural Municipality-3 of Baglung. Hastabir Sripali, 50, of Tamankhola-4, lost his life in a landslide, while his wife is missing. Udinsara BK Sripali, 65, of the same area, also died.

In Nisikhola-6, Surya Bahadur Gharti Magar, 50, was killed by a landslide. Two days earlier, Man Bahadur BK, 65, died in a landslide in Tarakhola Rural Municipality-5.

In Myagdi, landslides claimed six lives in Annapurna Rural Municipality, Malika Rural Municipality and Beni Municipality.

179 houses destroyed completely

Floods, landslides, and inundation in 11 districts of Gandaki Province over the past three days left 179 homes completely destroyed. Additionally, 26 homes suffered partial damage, and 270 are at risk.

According to the Gandaki Province Police Office, Parbat suffered the most serious damage, with 106 homes completely destroyed. Rising waters in the Kaligandaki River damaged nearly 100 homes in Pharse, located in Jaljala Rural Municipality-8, Parbat.

Similarly, 23 houses were destroyed in Baglung, followed by 15 in Nawalpur, 13 in Syangja, 10 in Tanahun, six in Myagdi, four in Manang, and one each in Kaski and Lamjung. In Parbat, 82 homes are at high risk.

Six bridges in Gandaki Province were completely destroyed and two were partially damaged. Bridges in Tanahun, Gorkha, Syangja, Manang, Parbat, and Myagdi sustained damage.

Three government offices—one each in Kaski, Gorkha and Syangja—were completely destroyed, while nine government offices across the province are at risk from floods and landslides.

1,451 people displaced

Due to the high risk of landslides and floods, 1,451 people from 419 households have been displaced across the province.

Nawalpur recorded the highest number of displaced people, with 613 people from 162 households, followed by Parbat, where 540 people from 162 households were displaced. Similarly, 72 people from 23 households were displaced in Syangja, 54 from 18 households in Tanahun, 43 from 13 households in Gorkha, 11 from four households in Myagdi and 10 from three households in Kaski.