Nepal Landslide: At Least 15 People Killed, Several Missing After Heavy Rainfall In Taplejung District

At least 15 people were feared dead and several others were missing after a landslide triggered by heavy rainfall hit six villages in northeastern Nepal on Wednesday night. The Himalayan nation is struggling to recover from the aftermath of two earthquakes and several aftershocks that struck in April and May, killing over 8,700 people.

The landslide occurred in Taplejung district, east of the capital Kathmandu, and a government official said that at least 12 people were missing but details about the incident were not immediately clear because of the remoteness of the area, the Associated Press reported. My Republica, a local news outlet, reported that at least 28 people had been killed in the landslide and over 10 were seriously injured. Landslides are common in Nepal during the monsoon season.

More than a dozen houses in the district were reportedly swept away by the landslide, and police fear that the death toll may rise as several houses were flooded due to the heavy rains, My Republica reported. Authorities also reportedly said that a police team was stranded on its way to the site of the landslide.

Nepal suffered massive destruction after a powerful magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck on April 25, the worst quake to hit the region in 80 years, followed by a magnitude-7.3 earthquake on May 12.

Hundreds of people, fearing fresh tremors and aftershocks, reportedly continue to live in the open or in temporary shelters, despite the beginning of the monsoon season, which will continue until September.