May 23, Humla — At 11 p.m. on May 19, a severe storm swept through Nepka village in Chankheli Rural Municipality Ward No. 5, followed by heavy rainfall. Soon after, a landslide triggered by mud and debris flooded the area. Villagers were overwhelmed with panic and fear, feeling helpless amid the chaos. “The storm and the mudslide even disrupted the 60-kilowatt small hydropower plant. Everyone was terrified in the pitch darkness,” recalled Ward Chairperson Harkdhan Tamang of Chankheli-5. “Everyone had already called their relatives to warn them of the danger to their lives.” That night was one of tragedy for the village of Nepka.
“My sheepfold was destroyed, but thankfully no sheep were harmed,” said Ward Chairperson Harkdhan Tamang. “However, when Dhansingh Tamang’s barn collapsed, 53 sheep were buried underneath.” The local Danphe Basic School sustained significant damage. Four classrooms, housed in two buildings made of stone and mud, were destroyed. The school also lost seven computers, two laptops, and furniture. The village’s water supply system was affected, with damage to a 5,000-liter water tank. Of the 75 households in the village, farmland and crops belonging to 45 were buried under the heavy mud, resulting in total loss, according to police reports.
After a seven-hour trek on foot, a police team reached Nepka. According to reports, the Melcham Police Outpost deployed a four-member unit led by constable Nandbahadur Shahi. Constable Shahi stated that his team had traveled seven hours on foot to reach the affected area. Following the incident, a helicopter team led by Chief District Officer Tekkumar Regmi from the district headquarters in Simikot arrived for inspection. Accompanying him were District Police Chief DSP Shankar Khadka, Armed Police DSP Pushkarbahadur Singh, and Nepali Army Major Haribabu Shrestha. However, local residents complained that neither the police nor the CDO team provided any relief before returning. Four days after the disaster, flood victims reported receiving no assistance from the government.
