By Purushottam P. Khatri

Kathmandu, July 11: Twenty-three people died, 36 went missing and 26 others sustained injuries in the flash floods and landslides triggered by torrential monsoon rains in several districts on Friday.
According to Chief Executive Officer of National Disaster Risk Reduction Authority (NDRRA) Anil Pokhrel, nine districts were affected by landslides and floods. They include Sindhupalchowk, Myagdi, Lamjung, Kaski, Rukum (West), Tanahun, Jajarkot, Dolakha and Gulmi.
According to the NEOC's press statement this evening, three people were killed and 31 went missing in floods and landslides in Dhaulagiri and Malika Gaunapalika of Myagdi district on Friday.
However, Our Myagdi Correspondent reported 3 deaths in the two Gaunpalikas of Myagdi district. Likewise, 19 went missing and six sustained injuries.
Likewise, seven persons each died in landslides in Pokhara Metropolitan City of Kaski and Barekot Gaunpalika in Jajarkot district. Seventeen others were injured in the landslides of Sarangkot, Hemja and Paintedanda in Kaski and five in Jajarkot districts. Five others went missing in a Jajarkot landlslide.
Likewise, three casualties and three injuries were reported from Lamjung, two from Rukum (West) with one injury, and one in Kaligandaki Gaunpalika-4 of Gulmi district.
There was no report of any human casualty from Tanahun and Dolakha districts.
CEO Pokhrel said that the landslides triggered heavy rains disrupted vehicular movements along the Marid-Lalbandi and B.P Highway in Sindhuli district and Kathmandu-Bhimphedi road section in Makwanpur district.
Similarly, Bhaluwang-Pyuthan road section also came to a complete halt because of landslides in several places.
Seven killed in Pokhara
At least seven people were killed in landslides in Pokhara of Kaski district on Friday morning.
Identifications of the deceased killed in the landslide of Gothadhi of Sarangkot in Pokhara Metropolitan City-18, were ascertained.
In Gothadhi landslide, Tanka Bahadur Thapa, 50, his wife Som Maya Thapa, his grand-son Suban Thapa, were killed, Deputy Superintendent of Police Subash Hamal said.
Similarly, 19-year old Ishika Thapa died in the mud slip at Sarangkot. All the bodies were kept at Pokhara-based Health Sciences Office. In the landslide, seven others were injured. They were identified as Pinki Thapa, Pirisha Thapa, Asha Thapa, Saraswoti Thapa, Anisha Tamang, Rashi Thapa and Rashmi Thapa. All of them were undergoing treatment at Pokhara Health Sciences Academy and Manipal Teaching Hospital.
Similarly, 70-year old Bhimkali Adhikari died in a landslide that fell on her house in Hemja of Pokhara Metropolitan City-25. Three goats were also buried in the landslide.
Likewise, 45-year old Bibek Pariyar, of Paitedanda of Pokhara Metropolitan City-26 died after a landslide hit his house on Thursday night. Other family members of his house, however, managed to escape the disaster.
In Tanahun, over 213 family members of 43 households in Shuklagandaki Municipality ward no. 4 and 8 were rendered homeless by a massive flood in the Seti River on Friday morning.
According to District Police Office, Tanahun, 29 households of ward no. 4 and 14 of ward no. 8 were displaced by the flood caused by heavy rains since Thursday night. The flooded Seti River entered the human settlements partially damaging three dozen houses there, SP Arun Poudel said.
The locals have latter been rescued and relocated in safe places by the rescue team deployed from Khairenitar-based Nepali Army and Nepal Police, according to Chief District Officer Badri Nath Adhikari.
In Myagdi, 3 persons died, 19 went missing and six sustained injuries in landslides that occurred at Dhawalagiri Gaunpalika and Malika Gaunpalilka of the district.
Chief District Officer Gyan Nath Dhakal said that the search and rescue operations in the disaster-hit areas were affected because of bad weather on Friday making air rescue impossible. Even CDO Dhakal could not reach the site owing to heavy rainfall.
The search team has covered the bodies of 50-year old Naliman Chhantyal of Raghuganga Gaunpalika-6, Dalima K.C, of Dhaulagiri Gaunpalika-7, and Prakas K.C of the same village, Assistant Chief District Officer Mahesh Subedi said. Nearly, 70 villagers of Dhaulagiri Gaunpalika-6 were relocated in a safer place, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police Kiran Jung Kunwar.
A bailey-bridge set up over the Raghuganga River along the Beni-Jomsom road section at Galeshwore was completely damaged by a flood in the river.
Also, around 85 members of 21 households in Galeshwor areas were relocated in safe place after their houses faced flood and landslide risks, according to CDO Dhakal. He said that 20 houses at Marang, 10 at Bima and five others at Takam were completely destroyed by the floods and landslides.
Road section along Beni-Darbang also came to a partial halt due to mud slips in several places, he said.
Additional support of the rescue team of Nepali Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police was sought from the neighbouring, Baglung district to conduct a prompt rescue and search operation there, CDO Dhakal said.
Meanwhile, in Sindhupalchowk, a man went missing after he was swept away by swollen Thandokhola River at Bhotekoshi Gaunpalika-3 on Friday morning. Identification of the missing youth was yet to be ascertained, said police.
According to Bhotekoshi Gaunpalika Office, flood at Thandokhola River has also swept away four houses at Larcha. Several Larcha locals have then left the place to keep themselves safe from possible landslides and floods.
Madhav Kafle, Deputy Superintendent of Police said that they have been unable to reach there for search and rescue operation due to heavy rains and floods in several parts of the area since Friday morning.
Flood in the Bhotekoshi River has also partially damaged Bhotekoshi electricity power house.
According to Dabudi Sherpa, Vice-chairperson of Bhotekoshi Gaunpalika, around 500 locals residing at Tatopani, Kodari, Bolepa, and Pangsherpu fled their villages fearing floods and landslides.
In Lamjung, three members of the same family were buried to death after a landslide hit a house owned by Dipak Tamang at Beshisahar Municipality-7.
A landslide hit the house of deceased Tamang at 10:30 pm Thursday, killing himself, his wife Bhim Maya Tamang, 27, and 10-year old son Chhewang Tamang, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Ganga Bahadur Thapa said.
DSP Thapa said the body of Bhim Maya was recovered at 12:50 pm on Friday, while the bodies of Dipak and his son were recovered at 2:45pm.
Rescue team of Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force had reached the site immediately after they got the information.

(Prepared with inputs from Smita Adhikari, Tara Chapagai, Amrit Prasad Paudel, Chitra Mijar, Belina Thapa and Amar Naharki)