- A landslide triggered by heavy rainfall in Rolpa district killed three people and buried six houses in Botalbara on Wednesday night.
- Nine residents remain missing while two others sustained serious injuries and are awaiting medical transfer for urgent treatment.
- Teams from the Nepal Army, police, and local volunteers are conducting search operations despite ongoing rain and further landslide risks.
Rolpa, Nepal: Three people have died and nine remain missing after a landslide swept through Botalbara in Thabang Rural Municipality-5 of Rolpa district following heavy rainfall on Wednesday night.
The landslide struck residential areas overnight, burying around six houses and sheds, including the home of local resident Kamal Bahadur Pun Magar.
Eighteen-year-old Shanti Pun Magar and 60-year-old Kamal Bahadur Pun Magar were killed when the landslide hit. Rescue teams searching through the debris on Thursday morning recovered the body of 71-year-old Manrakhi Pun Magar, bringing the death toll to three.
Two people who were rescued, 22-year-old Himal Pun Magar and 25-year-old Sanjay Gharti Magar, were seriously injured. Authorities are working to arrange their transfer to a hospital for further treatment.
Nine people are still unaccounted for, according to police. They are Junkumari Pun Magar, 9-year-old Ashim Pun Magar, 6-year-old Ashok Pun Magar, 75-year-old Dal Bahadur Pun Magar, 80-year-old Ajambar Pun Magar, 78-year-old Bal Bahadur Pun Magar, 72-year-old Lil Bahadur Pun Magar, 71-year-old Mani Pun Magar and 67-year-old Hastakala Roka Magar.
Since early Thursday morning, security personnel and local residents have been working side by side at the site, digging through mud and debris in the hope of finding those still missing.
A rescue team from the District Police Office, Rolpa, led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Panchakumar Bakhu has been deployed with disaster-response equipment. The Nepal Army’s Shri Suryadal Battalion, led by Major Deepesh Khadka, and a team from the Armed Police Force have also joined the operation.
Police from the Thabang Area Police Office, led by Inspector Ram Chandra Bagale, are also involved in the search and rescue effort.
The rescue operation is being carried out under difficult conditions, with the threat of more landslides remaining because of continued rainfall. Even so, rescuers and local residents have continued searching through the debris for the missing.
For families waiting at the scene, every passing hour brings both fear and hope as they wait for news of their loved ones.
