Land erosion has continued on the banks of the Bhotekoshi river in Sindhupalchok district with water levels in the river showing no signs of receding. The swollen river which has been wreaking havoc since Tuesday night swept away 15 more houses in Tatopani Bazaar on Saturday.

A total of 41 houses have been swept away by the river since Wednesday.

On Thursday, hundreds of families had left their homes in search of safer locations, fearing more flooding and land erosion.

The river originating from the Tibet in China witnessed a sudden rise in water levels on Tuesday night that resulted in a massive flooding in downstream areas from Liping to Barhabise along the Araniko Highway that links Nepal with China via Tatopani.  “The water levels in the river have not crossed the warning level, but it has been raining in the area. The weakened river banks are experiencing land erosion and houses built along the banks, particularly in the Tatopani Bazaar area, are at high risk,” said Sindhupalchok Chief District Officer Gokarna Mani Dawadi.

Around 150 houses, mostly in the Tatopani Bazaar area, and some houses in Chaku Bazaar, Jhirpu and Jumbu are on the verge of being washed away, he added.

An eight-kilometre road section joining Larcha and Tatopani, has suffered severe damage due to land erosion caused by flooding, according to CDO Dawadi.

Authorities have estimated that around 300 settlements along the river from Tatopani to Barhabise in Sindhupalchok are at high risk of flooding and land erosion. “We have already issued alerts to the locals living along the river,” said Inspector Khim Lal Bhusal from Tatopani.

On Friday, at least 58 people who were displaced by the Bhotekoshi flooding were rescued by a Nepal Army helicopter to Barhabise and Kathmandu.

22 families displaced in Solu

SOLUKHUMBU: As many as 22 families of Chaurikharka-4 in Solukhumbu district have been displaced after seven houses were buried in a landslide on Thursday night, according to the Eastern Regional Police Office.

Initial estimates suggest that property worth around Rs 20 million was destroyed in the disaster. Other nine families are at high risk, said police. Security personnel from the Nepal Army and Nepal Police rescued the victims and moved them to safer locations. Similarly, in Mugu, 12 villages are extremely vulnerable to landslides and flooding, said the District Natural Disaster Rescue and Relief Committee. People of Gadekhola, Righa, Rawaldanda, Magri and other villages are having sleepless nights due to fears of possible landslides and flooding.

Nanda Prasad Jaishi, a villager from Righa, said his family has left the house.

“A landslide has already occurred above our settlement,” he said. (PR)