Kathmandu, April 10
What began as a typical spring evening turned into a night of terror and tragedy as a powerful storm swept across several provinces in Nepal. With deadly lightning, fierce winds, and torrential rain, the storm claimed lives, disrupted essential services, and left a trail of destruction across Karnali, Lumbini, and Sudurpaschim.
From Karnali to Lumbini and Sudurpaschim Provinces, the storm unleashed chaos — killing at least three people, injuring several others, and disrupting critical services such as electricity and telecommunications. Authorities say dozens of houses were damaged, government offices rendered unusable, and many rural areas remain without power.
Power outages and communication blackout in Karnali
In Karnali Province, stong winds toppled trees and electricity poles, cutting off power and telephone lines across all ten districts. The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) reported that the vital 33 kV Kohalpur–Surkhet and Kuine–Babiyachaur–Birendranagar transmission lines were knocked out, with service currently reaching only as far as Ramghat in Surkhet.
NEA officials say repair work is underway, but the extent of damage — particularly in western Surkhet — remains under assessment.
Teenage girl killed in Lumbini as storms ravage structures
In Lumbini Province, the storm turned deadly. A 15-year-old girl who had taken shelter at a relative’s home in Sunilsmriti Rural Municipality, Rolpa, was struck and killed by lightning.
Elsewhere, the winds tore off tin roofs from a police station in Banke and a ward office in Palpa. In Bardiya, a thatched-roof house caught fire after a lightning strike, and strong winds toppled trees and dismantled stalls at a local festival in Tansen, Palpa.
Police Chief DIG Dan Bahadur Karki said authorities across the province are still collecting damage reports. “The destruction is widespread — from homes to government buildings. It will take time to fully understand the impact,” he said.
Lightning claims 2 lives in Doti and Bajhang
The disaster did not spare Sudurpaschim Province either. In Doti’s Sayal Rural Municipality, a lightning strike claimed the life of 33-year-old Kamala Nagari and injured seven others, including her four young children. Tragically, on the same night, a lightning bolt also killed 78-year-old Dhaule Bohora in Bajhang.
In every district touched by the storm, the scenes echo each other: terrified children, families seeking shelter in neighbors’ homes, power lines dangling over roads, and communities waking up to uncertainty.
While the government has dispatched emergency crews and is assessing the full scope of the disaster, questions remain. Are rural regions adequately prepared for weather extremes worsened by climate change? Is the early warning system robust enough? And most importantly, how quickly can relief reach those now left with nothing?
For now, the people of Karnali, Lumbini, and Sudurpaschim wait — for power, for answers, and for the comfort of knowing they have not been forgotten.
