Nepal: Deadly Landslide Claims Four Lives in Taplejung Amidst Heavy Rainfall

A landslide triggered by continuous rainfall claimed the lives of four individuals from the same family in Eastern Nepal’s Taplejung district on Thursday night. According to officials, the landslide struck a house in Tingdu village of Phattanglung Rural Municipality-2, approximately 580 kilometers east of Kathmandu, overnight.

Rajan Limbu, Chairman of the rural municipality, stated, “The landslide overnight resulted in the deaths of four family members. Two others were injured. The search operation is ongoing as two houses were swept away by the landslide.”

Earlier in the week, Taplejung experienced flash floods that temporarily blocked the Tamor River, damaging a wooden bridge before the river resumed its normal flow. In nearby Sankhuwasabha district, heavy rainfall led to flooding and inundation, causing damage to three houses and destroying crops valued at millions.

Dinesh Kattel, Information Officer at Khandbari Municipality, reported, “Since Monday, incessant rainfall has caused significant damage. We are assessing crop damage due to flooding in the river, which overflowed into the fields.”

According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Sankhuwasabha’s Eastern District recorded 217.8 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours on Thursday and 119.7 mm on Wednesday alone.

Eastern Nepal has been experiencing heavy rains since early this week, with the monsoon arriving earlier than expected. Most districts, particularly in the Tarai region, have endured sweltering temperatures exceeding 45 degrees Celsius, making life challenging. In Kathmandu Valley, temperatures above 33 degrees Celsius prompted widespread discomfort among residents.

The Nepal Meteorological Office issued a heat wave alert for western and far-western Tarai regions following the monsoon’s onset. Officials cautioned that additional warnings may be necessary due to the monsoon’s slow progress towards western Nepal.

Typically, Nepal’s monsoon season starts on June 13 and concludes on September 23. Last year, it began a day later than usual, on June 14.