OMM Redaksiyası
Another wave of landslides and heavy rain has killed about 30 people in Nepal, as the Himalayan country continues to recover from catastrophic flooding in August that left 1,400 people dead and thousands more missing, according to the BBC.
Nepal’s national disaster management authority said more than 1,900 families had been affected since late last week. More than 240 homes were damaged, while roads, buildings and bridges were washed away.
Trekkers evacuated from the Annapurna Circuit
Hundreds of trekkers on the Annapurna Circuit, a major contributor to Nepal’s economy, have had to abandon their hikes and seek safety. Many were flown by helicopter from the districts of Manang and Mustang.
The route normally takes up to three weeks to complete, but damaged roads and collapsed bridges have made the return journey difficult. Several trekkers and guides said it took them three or four days to descend, with some forced to cross unstable slopes and remnants of landslides.
Jake Stacy, a 21-year-old from Suffolk, became stranded with his guide in Yak Kharka in upper Manang after heavy snowfall last week. He decided not to continue to the Thorang La pass, the highest point on the circuit.
“We made our own paths on mountain slopes,” Stacy said after reaching the base camp in Pokhara. “It was quite steep and we were clambering because there was a river below. It was very muddy and very wet.”
Australian trekker Andrew Graham and his guide, Prem KC, said they crossed more than 15 landslides after turning back from Manang village. They became stranded in Chame, which had been evacuated because of the landslide risk, and spent a night in a jungle.
Villages hit by flooding and landslides
A major landslide has partly blocked a river running through Chame, creating a temporary lake that has flooded homes and a key bridge. Local residents told the BBC that authorities had spent three days trying to drain the water with excavators, with limited success.
Trekking guide Tse Ring Doma said she and her group had crossed 28 landslides. She described the psychological strain as more difficult than the physical challenge, particularly after last month’s disaster.
“Even thunder would make us run and come out to see if anything was coming our way,” she said.
In Battar, north-west of Kathmandu, residents displaced by the disaster said they were struggling in leaking tents. “We used to live in a hut, but now there is nothing. We have lost so many of our relatives,” Buti Tamang told BBC Nepali.
“Now it is raining and the tent leaks, so we’ve been facing a difficult situation. We have nowhere to go,” said Ramesh Ghale, who also fled his home.
Authorities restrict access to trekking route
Although damage to roads and bridges in Manang has been severe, no deaths had been reported in the trekking area, district chief officer Mukti Prasad Khanal said.
However, four bodies have been recovered and 12 people remain missing after an avalanche near the base of Himlung Peak, close to Nepal’s border with Tibet.
About 700 trekkers were still waiting in Pokhara to begin the Annapurna Circuit, according to a representative of the Annapurna Conservation Area Project. Authorities have kept the route closed despite pressure from the trekking industry to reopen it.
Indian pilgrims visiting the ancient Muktinath temple have been advised to fly from Jomson to Pokhara rather than use the damaged road, the representative said.
Several old trekking trails, largely unused since roads were built, are now being used by trekkers returning from the circuit after sections of the main roads were washed away.
