Flash floods in the Tamakoshi river triggered by landslides swept away four shops, completely damaged 10 houses and put 19 others at high risk at Malukhola market in Tamakoshi Rural Municipality-4 on Monday morning.

Rukumaya Nepali, owner of one of the deluged shops, said she had a narrow escape.

“It was raining continuously since midnight but the flood from the Tamakoshi river was unexpected,” Nepali said. “We managed to escape but our income source is gone.”

Saroj Chauhan, a local businessman, said that locals have been living in fear of water-induced disasters in the area. “The flood surrounded us from all sides and we had no escape. We had to run into the jungle,” he said. “We are in search of a safe place to spend the night.”

According to Chauhan, floods and landslides have inundated settlements and destroyed large swathes of rice fields.

The disasters damaged 19 houses at Besi settlement in Malukhola. Rescue and relocation has become difficult due to continuous rainfall since Sunday night. Floods have also damaged the Motorway Bridge at Malukhola of Pushpalal Highway and an 11KV transmission line. The disaster has also disrupted electricity supply in Tamakoshi, Melung and other areas.

In Melung, which lies in the ward 7 of Tamakoshi Rural Municipality, floods have completely destroyed two houses while five are at high risk of being swept away.

Rain-triggered landslides also displaced more than 30 families and destroyed several agricultural farms in Shailung Rural Municipality-8.

“We are trying to move the affected people and their belongings from high risk areas,” Dhan Bahadur Tamang, ward chair of Tamakoshi Rural Municipality-7, said.

Twenty-five families have been moved to a safe place from the Bigu Rural Municipality-4, after the risk of landslide and flood increased. In Lapilang village of Kalinchok Rural Municipality-5, continuous landslides have put more than 40 houses in danger. In Dakthali village of Bhimeshwar Municipality-2, a family displaced by landslides has been taking shelter at a local school.