Floods and landslides triggered by monsoon rains have wreaked havoc in several districts across the country in the past few days.

The disasters claimed many lives, displaced hundreds of families and damaged crops planted in hectares of land. Thousands of passengers travelling during the Dashain festival have been stranded as landslides disrupted vehicular movement along various road sections.

In Pyuthan, six people went missing after a landslide buried a house belonging to Bam Bahadur Rahu Magar at Mandabi Rural Municipality-4 on Friday. According to Inspector Sushil Thapa Magar, who is also the spokesperson for the District Police Office in Pyuthan, Bam Bahadur, his wife Mausami Thapa, Hira Bahadur Thapa, Sushan Thapa and Teki Rahu Magar had been missing.

A police team from the district headquarters was deployed to the incident site but the team could not reach there as the floods and landslide blocked a road connecting the village. According to Dil Bahadur Gharti Magar, the ward chairman of Mandabi-4, the personnel from the local police post and the villagers are searching for the victims but to no avail.

In Kathmandu, three people from the same family died in Chandragiri Municipality-2, Deurali on the outskirts of Kathmandu after being buried by a landslide on Thursday night.

Police identified the victims as a 52 years old man, his 45 years old wife, and their one-and-a-half years old daughter. According to Bhai Krishna Tamang, ward chairperson of Chandragiri Municipality-2, they were buried alive while sleeping at a meditation centre at Deurali. They were staying at the centre for health care.

With the help of ward representatives and locals, a team of personnel from the Armed Police Force and Nepal Police carried out the rescue work. Tamang said the bodies were retrieved from the debris early on Friday morning.

A five-year-old girl died after being swept away by the Mandi stream in Ribdikot Rural Municipality of Palpa. The victim’s mother and another woman were rescued in the incident. They are now receiving care at Lumbini Medical College, Tansen. Bishnu Maya Saru, 21, and her 18-month-old daughter sustained injuries when a landslide buried a house in Tinau Rural Municipality-6.

In Nawalparasi (East), more than 200 houses were inundated due to incessant rains. Hectares of paddy fields have been submerged in various places of the district. The monsoon phenomenon affected lives in Gaidakot Municipality, Binayi Tribeni Rural Municipality and Madhyabindu Municipality.

According to the District Police Office, around 80 houses in Gaidakot, 75 houses in Binayi Tribeni Rural Municipality and more than 20 houses in Madhyabindu were inundated, displacing a number of families.

The water level in the Narayani river has increased significantly owing to the continuous rainfall in the area. According to Amit Khadka, an officer at the Gandak Barrage, water flow was recorded 440,000 cusec in the river at 4pm on Friday. He said the pressure was the highest on the barrage in the past three years. “All 36 sluices in the barrage have been lifted with the increasing flow of water in the river,” said Khadka.

Hundreds of hectares of paddy field have been inundated in Susta, Sarawal and Palhinandan rural municipalities in Nawalparasi (West). Floodwaters entered the settlements in Susta-5 after the Narayani river breached the embankment.

“We never thought of floods in the month of October. But the floods entered the settlement. We could not celebrate Dashain,” said Anita Debi Koiri of Susta-5. Many houses in her settlement were inundated due to the floods.

Chief District Officer of Nawalparasi (West) Shrawan Kumar Pokharel and the people’s representatives visited the affected area. “The security personnel were deployed to rescue the victims timely and averted human casualties,” said Pokharel.

In Bardiya, more than 100 houses were waterlogged after floods in the Babai river entered the settlements in Balapur, Indrapur, Muktinathghat, Gangapur, Radhakrishnatol among other settlements of Gulariya. The floods also affected several settlements in Dang, Banke and Kailali districts.

In Salyan, 11 houses were damaged due to rain. A house and a bridge were destroyed by the Sharda river. Deputy Superintendent of Police Damodar KC said more than 24 houses are at risk due to the landslides that occurred at several places.

Due to incessant rains, highways and district roads in Karnali Province have been blocked. Due to the rainfall since Wednesday afternoon, landslides damaged dozens of spots on the Surkhet-Jumla-Karnali road.

(With inputs from our local correspondents)