Kathmandu, June 30 2024 — A series of landslides triggered by heavy rains in western Nepal have claimed the lives of nine people, including three children, according to the country's National Disaster Response and Management Authority spokesperson Dijan Bhattarai. The incidents occurred on Friday night in Gulmi, Syangja, and Baglung districts, approximately 250 kilometers west of Kathmandu, as reported by Reuters.

In Gulmi's Malika village, a house was completely destroyed by a landslide while a family of five was sleeping. Tragically, the bodies of five family members, including two children, were recovered from the debris.

Another house collapse due to landslides in Syangja resulted in the deaths of a mother and her three-year-old child. Additionally, two more individuals lost their lives in a separate landslide incident in Baglung district, adjacent to Gulmi.

The onset of the rainy season in mid-June has brought about severe weather conditions across Nepal, leading to multiple incidents of lightning, floods, and landslides that have claimed the lives of at least 35 people thus far. The monsoon rains typically persist in Nepal until mid-September, posing ongoing risks of natural disasters.

Landslides and flash floods are frequent occurrences in Nepal's mountainous regions during the monsoon season, causing significant casualties and highlighting the vulnerability of communities in these areas to such natural disasters.