‘We Got New Life,’ Say People Rescued from Landslide

57-year-old Prem Bahadur Pun from Giwang, Ward No. 5 of Annapurna Rural Municipality-5, and 41-year-old Lalit Pun from Dowa, Ward No. 1, got stuck in the middle of a landslide for about 12 hours on Sunday. After four days of continuous rain, Prem Bahadur’s house was surrounded by landslides from early Sunday morning.

After 3:00pm, the security personnel who went in the Nepali Army helicopter rescued and brought him and Lalit to Beni. After their rescue, they said that they got a new life. “My house is on the hill and there are ravines on both sides.

Landslides had been taking place on the right and left. There’s a cliff above and below the house, so there’s no other way to go. And at that moment, we had the feeling that this is the last moment in our life,” Prem said. According to him, there was no phone connection and they spent 12 hours in ‘sheer panic’. “The rain stopped in the afternoon and the sky cleared, and then helicopters started coming, giving us hope of survival. After being rescued, we feel like we’ve gotten a new life.” Prem Bahadur lives alone at home.

Lalit, a herder from Dowa, had come from the highland pastures at Khopara Lek, was staying overnight at Prem Bahadur’s house while returning to his house in Dowa. “I was returning home after four months from the Khopara Lek, and I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to see my family and relatives after the landslide surrounded the house,” Lalit said, adding that the whole day passed restlessly.

“After being rescued and brought to Beni in the afternoon, I kept thinking about my family and meeting them. But I can’t even call home, and since the road to my house is disrupted and impassable, I’m staying in Beni.”

The Pun duo who were rescued and brought to Beni, the district headquarters, by helicopter, visited the District Administration Office to thank the people’s representatives, the administration authorities and the security personnel for rescuing them from the jaw of death and giving them new life.

Prem, who works at the Middle Kaligandaki Hydropower Project, said that the rescue was easier because he called the commander at the Nepali Army post in Gharkhola to inform him about their dire straits. Giwang, Paudwar, Ghirwang, Dhoskekhor, and Kindu, the parts of Annapurna rural municipality-5 have been cut off following the landslides on Sunday triggered by incessant rains.

The landslides massively damaged roadways and trekking routes, leaving some people trapped inside their homes, while some others in the sheds. According to Chief District Officer Ganesh Gaire, 78 people were air rescued from Paudwar and Giwang and taken to Shikh, Ghar and Beni.

At the time of filing of this report, preparations were underway to send a helicopter to rescue those in need. Dil Prasad Phagami of Aula of Annapurna rural municipality-7 said landslides from above the settlement forced residents to flee their homes. They have taken shelter in a health post building and nearby sheds. As he said, around 100 households in the area are awaiting rescue.

The death toll from landslide in the district has risen to six, while three people remain missing. Four bodies have been recovered in Annapurna rural municipality and two in Malika rural municipality.

Assistant Chief District Officer Kul Prasad Acharya said that it was delayed in receiving information from the affected areas, as well as the deployment of security personnel, and the search and rescue operations. Disruptions to electricity, communication, and road networks have further hampered the response.

Four days of continuous rainfall, followed by floods and landslides, have disrupted electricity, road, and communication services in Myagdi. The Beni-Jomsom, Beni-Darwang, Beni-Pakhapani, and Beni-Baglung roads have also been blocked. (RSS)