Landslides triggered by torrential rain since Monday night have caused a widespread destruction in  Phopli VDC of Pyuthan. At least 25 people in the VDC have been killed in landslides as of Wednesday.

The VDC secretary, Pusparaj Thapa, said barring wards one and two in the VDC, landslides have occurred in all places.

As many as 200 families have been forced to flee their homes because of landslides. They have been taking shelter out in the open and school buildings.

“Many families have completely abandoned their homes because the landslides have rendered their villages uninhabitable,” Thapa said.  

 Jhagindra Pun, one of the displaced villagers, said massive landslides have surrounded his settlement.

“We have nowhere else to go now,” he said.

There are many like Pun who no longer can return to their homes. Relocation is their only option. They were forced to evacuate their settlements with whatever belongings they could grab.

Batuli BK and her children, who fled their home at Bhirkuna, are living inside a school compound after a series of landslides started to occur in the village.

“The landslides have not stopped. It is getting worse by the day,” she said.

At Phopli-5, continuous landslides have swept away the electricity poles, erased the foot trails and damaged the water sources.

“The village has been cut off  from all sides. It is impossible to even get from one house to another within the village,” said Deviram Pun. 

  Chief District Officer Janakraj Panta said ferrying relief materials to the landslide-hit areas has become a challenge in absence of road network .

He said police personnel have been deployed to the worst-affected region with emergency relief supplies.

CDO Janakraj Panta says ferrying relief materials to the landslide-hit areas has become difficult in absence of road network