Landslides in Taplejung district’s Phungling area claimed the lives of four and destroyed many houses after heavy rains in the region last night.

Three bodies were recovered by the joint efforts of the Nepali Police, Armed Police Force and Nepal Army this morning. Identified as the wife, daughter and son of Tika Magar, the three succumbed to death after their house was buried under a landslide while they were asleep.

In another incident, Maili Subba from Phungling-8 was also buried under a landslide after she tried to escape from her house, while Kanchhi Subba was injured.

Triggered by torrential rains, the landslides started at 1 am and have affected many areas and damaged homes in the district. Traffic in the Mechi Highway has also been obstructed as a result.

The houses of local residents Bhuwanishankar Nepal, Agniprasad Bhandari, Teknath Dahal, Dilliram Adhikari, Rajkumar Magar, Guruprasad Biswakarma, Som Bahadur Bik and Gangamaya Bhattarai were swept away.

In Phungling-2 , seven houses — including that belonging to Kenima Netraprasad Bhattarai — were damaged by the landslide. Similarly, ten houses close to municipality-9 were also destroyed.

Following the incident, local residents have been evacuated to a safer location. However, the rain and the landslides still continue.

Laxmi Gautam