Heavy rains triggered landslides in western Nepal on Thursday, killing at least 30 and burying large portions of several villages, .
The affected areas lie within an 80-mile radius of the popular Annapurna Circuit, which the government had reopened for trekking just last week. In the village of Lumle and those near Pokhara, soldiers and police continue to search for missing people in heavy rains, digging with shovels and food bowls. Additional rescue teams have been held up by landslide material blocking the Pokhara-Baglung Highway, according to Reuters.
The two earthquakes that devastated Nepal in April increased the risk of landslides, but landslides are not uncommon in Nepal during the summer monsoon season. This time last year—nearly to the day—thousands were affected and hundreds left missing or dead in a landslide near Ramche.