Two people died and three others are missing in a landslide that occurred in Gulmi on Thursday night.

The two deceased are a 16-month-old toddler and an eight-year-old girl. Dozens of cattle were also killed in the incident that took place at around 11pm at Hastichaur in Ishma Rural Municipality-1 of the district.

Three persons were rescued from the debris via a helicopter on Friday evening, more than 18 hours after the disaster. Among the three, one is in a critical condition, according to doctors. All three are receiving treatment at a Kathmandu-based hospital.

Another injured person was transported to Kathmandu for further treatment on Friday evening, according to DSP Kedarnath Panta of Gulmi Police.

Former minister and a member of parliament Gokarna Bista arrived in Gulmi with a helicopter for rescue efforts. Tarpaulins and relief materials have been provided to the affected families.

Ward Chair Chura Bahadur Khatri said that rescue efforts were made difficult because of roads blocked by the landslide and bad weather.

“The ones trapped beneath the debris were rescued but we couldn’t immediately take them to the hospital because the roads were blocked,” he said. “Helicopter rescue was the only option, but that, too, faced obstacles due to bad weather.”

As many as 24 families have been displaced by the landslide in Musikot Municipality, according to Mayor Somnath Sapkota.

Landslides have also occurred in nine other places of Maldi Village, a settlement of 116 households. Ten families were displaced by Thursday’s landslide and the whole village is at risk of being swept away by the disaster. Similarly, fourteen households in Musikot Village have also been displaced by Thursday’s landslide. The district saw over two dozen landslides on Thursday night alone, according to Prakash Kafle, spokesperson of Musikot Municipality.

Locals speculate that the landslide occurred when a still water dam along a recently repaired road in Hastichaur burst open because of continuous rainfall and thunderstorm, according to ward chair Khatri

The landslide has also damaged the building of Kalika Lower Secondary School, which was being remodeled as a quarantine facility in the wake of Covid-19 crisis. After the landslide, five quarantined individuals have been sent home to self-quarantine, according to Gun Prasad Adhikari, ward chair of Isma Rural Municipality-4.