Nepal: Landslides Kill at Least 21, With Others Trapped or Missing

Landslides caused by heavy rains struck several remote villages in eastern Nepal overnight on Thursday, killing at least 21 people, a local official said.

At least 27 other people are missing, and several are known to be trapped, said Surendra Bhattarai, a senior official in the district of Taplejung, which borders China. Landslides continued on Thursday, he said.

 

Soldiers and police officers were trying to reach the area, but fog was hindering their progress, Mr. Bhattarai said. “We are trying to arrange helicopters for rescue operations,” he said. The death toll could rise, he said.

Three of the 21 bodies recovered so far have been identified, Mr. Bhattarai said.

Nepal’s remote, hilly regions are plagued by landslides during the monsoon season, which starts in June. Last August, a deadly landslide at the Chinese border washed out a crucial highway for months.

Officials fear that landslides could be particularly bad this season because of the major earthquake that struck Nepal in April, killing more than 8,700 people and leaving the terrain more unstable.

Mr. Bhattarai said an estimated 150 security personnel, including Nepalese Army soldiers, were taking part in the landslide rescue operations.