'We had long been asking the authorities to move us to safer locations'

Lidi villagers say they knew a disaster was coming as the area weakened by the 2015 earthquakes was experiencing landslides since the start of the monsoon season.

On Friday morning, when her house began to wobble, the first thought that crossed Junmaya Tamang’s mind was an earthquake. Then there was a deafening bang, uncharacteristic of an earthquake, just before her house started shaking violently. She was on the terrace to retrieve the corn kernels she had left to dry and when she heard the noise, her instinct told her to flee. But before she could make a move, a large mass of mud and stones came hurtling down the hill. She was knocked out cold by a stone.