Locals and students forced to spend nights under tents after earthquake in Lo Manthang

Mustang, Sept 12: Local residents, teachers and students in Lo Manthang rural municipality of Upper Mustang have been compelled to spend nights under tarpaulin tents following the 5.3-magnitude earthquake that struck the area on September 8.
The earthquake, with epicentre in Lo Manthang, damaged around 80 per cent of houses in the rural municipality, leaving many residents worried about their safety. Although no human casualties have been reported, the risk remains high as aftershocks continue to affect the area.
According to rural municipality Chairperson Tasinorbu Gurung, around 60 houses have been rendered uninhabitable, making them unsafe for residents. He said most of the affected houses were traditional structures built with stone and mud.
The earthquake also damaged school buildings, including the student hostel and teachers’ quarters at Divyadeep Secondary School, making them unfit for habitation.
Chairperson Gurung said residents, teachers and students from the damaged buildings were taking shelter under tarpaulin tents in open spaces due to the continuing risk.
The rural municipality is arranging alternative accommodation locally and is in the process of procuring additional tents, he added.
The full extent of the damage is yet to be ascertained, as the municipality continues to collect details of the affected houses and buildings, he said.
Phuwa village in ward no. 3 of the rural municipality has been the hardest hit by the temblor.
According to local residents, more than 500 houses in the village have been completely destroyed or rendered uninhabitable. Residents in other wards have also reported extensive cracks in their homes.
Divyadeep Secondary School Principal Kamalesh Kumar Tripathi said the earthquake had damaged the school’s hostel, teachers’ quarters and storage buildings.
Most parts of the two-storey building, which has 34 rooms and was constructed with stone and mud, have developed cracks.
The school, which has 84 students, has been facing difficulties in conducting regular classes following the damage. Students and teachers have been spending nights in classrooms and under tents.
Meanwhile, earthquake-affected residents have called on the government to support their rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts.
Teams from the rural municipality, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), Lo Manthang, are collecting details of the damage and assessing the needs of affected residents and schools.
The earthquake also damaged a wall of Chode Monastery and caused cracks in the historic Lo Manthang Palace.
On Friday, a team from the Mustang District Coordination Committee, led by Committee Chief Maya Gurung, visited the affected areas to inspect the damage and take stock of the problems facing local residents.

Fear of further earthquakes continues to grip the local community, with many residents still unable to return to their damaged homes.