Nepal landslides; 21 dead, dozens missing

Kathmandu

Landslides triggered by heavy rains have left at least 21 dead and dozens missing in northeastern Nepal, prompting officials to evacuate villagers living in the riskiest areas, police said Thursday.

Rescuers struggled to reach in the affected villages of mountainous Taplejung district which is about 500 kilometers east of Katmandu after the landslides, which hit just weeks after twin quakes that killed 8,700 people.

The district's deputy superintendent of police, Shanti Raj Koirala said, "We have found the bodies of 21 people and around three dozen more have been reported missing, the number of missing people could be higher."

Koirala also informed that landslides were continuing in some areas and families in risky locations have been evacuated to safety.

As the weather improved, an army helicopter airlifted eight injured villagers to a local hospital.

Home Ministry official in Kathmandu, Laxmi Dhakal said that rain and fog has made it difficult for rescuers to reach at the nearest town and, there are no government officials or police stations in the area to help them.

Taplejung escaped serious damage in the April 25 and May 12 earthquakes, which triggered landslides and destroyed half a million homes, leaving thousands without shelter just weeks ahead of monsoon rains.

Scores of people die every year from flooding and landslides in Nepal, during the rainy monsoon, which begins in June and ends in September.

Meanwhile, the government announced yesterday that it would hire international experts to study trekking routes in the mountains of Nepal to see if they are safe for hikers to return.

Tens of thousands of foreigners come to Nepal every year to trek on the foothills of the Himalayan peaks.