Kathmandu: At least 41 people were killed last week in a landslide triggered by heavy rainfall that buried six villages in Nepal's mountainous northeast, the second major disaster to hit the country after the April 25 quake. The landslide hit the villages in Taplejung district killing 41 people and injuring eight others, police said.
So far 12 bodies have been recovered from the site. The number of casualties may rise as many residents have gone missing. Six villages were swept away in the mudslide. Nepal army and Nepal police personnel have been mobilized for carrying rescue operation. Continuous rain and flash floods in the streams have hampered rescue efforts, police said. The landslide has also obstructed transport services at the Mechi highway. Landslides are common in mountainous Nepal during the rainy monsoon season.
The Himalayan nation is still recovering from two major quakes and several aftershocks that killed nearly 9,000 people and left a trail of destruction. Two mild aftershocks were recorded last week.
