Authorities, who have recovered three bodies from under the debris of a landslide that took place in Palpa on Monday, have exhumed the body of yet another individual on Tuesday.

The body of the deceased, an 18-year-old from Jhapa, was recovered on Tuesday from the debris of the landslide that took place at Sammobari, Tansen Municipality Ward No. 11 on Monday.

“Security personnel from the Nepali Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force were looking for bodies at the incident site from Monday,” said Deputy Superintendent Madan Giri.

The landslide had swept away four vehicles— a tanker, a jeep, a mini truck and a car— on the Tansen-Ridi road section in Palpa, around 6km from the district headquarters, on Monday. “Two bodies were recovered from the incident site while a third person, who was rescued alive, died while receiving treatment at United Mission Hospital,” said Giri. According to him, all of the deceased were workers at a construction company in Gulmi.

The number of passengers inside the vehicles that were swept away is unknown, said Giri.

A high-tension electricity line was also buried in the debris, preventing the use of excavators to clear the debris, Giri added.

The landslide, which took place on the road that was widened just a month ago, has put at least a dozen houses in Bandipokhara of Tansen Municipality at risk. Landslides have also been reported at Aryabhanjyang, Chapgaira in Rampur, Sefad, and Khaliwan, among other places in the district.