KATHMANDU (XINHUA) - A massive landslide in central Nepal has killed at least 18 people.
Eighteen bodies have been recovered at Jugal Rural Municipality in Sindhupalchowk district while 21 people are still missing.
The incident happened in the early morning of Friday (Aug 14) as the falling hill damaged 37 houses in the Lidi village of nearly 170 houses.
Among the 18 who died were 11 children, four women and three men, Superintendent of Police Prajwol Maharjan, chief of the District Police Office in Sindhupalchowk, told Xinhua on Saturday evening.
The search for missing people continues on Sunday with officers from the Nepal Police, the Armed Police Force and the Nepal Army along with local people.
The local administration has relocated people affected by the landslide to a nearly safe location.
"A nearby hill has also remained split open and there are 25 houses below that hill," said Superintendent Maharjan.
"Citing the risk of another landslide, we have relocated people to a nearby safe location and they are living under the tents."
The village which suffered devastation from the landslide is one of the settlements identified by the Nepali government as having been in risk of landslide.
According to the National Reconstruction Authority, a government body established to coordinate the reconstruction efforts after the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, the village is on the list of the settlements that needs protection but does not need relocation.
There are 327 such settlements across the country which require protection.
After conducting geological study, the authority had categorised several settlements in three categories: safe, one requiring protection, and one in need of relocation.
"If the necessary measure was taken to protect the village in time, this tragedy could have been avoided," Mr Gopal Prasad Aryal, spokesperson at the authority, told Xinhua.
Meanwhile, police said the local administration of Sindhupalchowk on Saturday wrote to the central government to relocate the entire village after the incident.
