Seven people are known to have died and one more is missing after a pair of landslides hit Khimti Village in the Ramechhap District of Nepal. The incidents happened at around 2.00 am local time on Tuesday 13 August 2013 (about 8.15 pm on Monday 12 August, GMT), destroying at least half a dozen homes. Six of the deceased have been identified so far, they are Mithu Thapa (55), his daughter Swasthani Thapa (23) and son Kedar Thapa (13), Sita Sunawar (11), Bhim Bahadur Tamang (55), his wife Batuli Tamang. The seventh person has been described as an unidentified elderly woman. A seventh person, Dhalke Tamang, has reportedly been swept away by the swollen Khimti River, and it is unclear if he has survived. Another six people have been taken to hospital for treatment.
The approximate location of the 13 August 2013 Khimti landslides. Google Maps.
Nepal and other areas of the Himalayas have been suffering the heaviest Monsoon rains in eighty years, triggering widespread flooding and numerous landslides, with more rains forecast over the coming days. Landslides are a common problem after severe weather events, as excess pore water pressure can overcome cohesion in soil and sediments, allowing them to flow like liquids. Approximately 90% of all landslides are caused by heavy rainfall.
See also Two women killed in landslide in Darchula District, Nepal, Two killed in Nepal Landslide, Seven killed in Nepal landslide, Fifteen-year-old boy killed in Kathmandu landslide and US professor killed in Nepal landslide.
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