The bereaved family members and relatives of the departed souls of the recent Laya landslide mishap have gathered to pay their final respects in Gasa. The funerals will happen on Monday. Ten cordyceps collectors from Laya lost their lives after their temporary camp at Ri-Drupzhi near Tshari-Jathang between Laya and Lingzhi was washed away by landslides at around 1 AM on Wednesday.
Among the ten dead, three were couples. Two couples had their small children awaiting their return with their grandparents back home. Similarly, from the other four victims who are women, three are survived by their husbands and children while one has her husband at the National Referral hospital who was airlifted following the incident.
“Some of the victims had kept their children with their grandparents in the village. And now in a flick of a second, everything is gone. All of their children are orphaned back in Laya. All they have are their grandparents who are old,” said Passang, the Chongra-Loobcha Chiwog Tshogpa.
“We have requested the Gewog Administration and the school authority to take care of the children for the time being. But after completing the funeral rites, we will request His Majesty’s Kidu for them, added Dorji Gyeltshen, the Senior Dzongrab of Gasa.
Pema Dorji, one of the cordyceps collectors who escaped the mishap recollects how the tragic incident unfolded right in front of his eyes.
“It was around 12.30 AM where we experienced thunderstorm and lightning. I immediately got up to see what was happening. By then, the landslide had almost reached my tent. My wife was still sleeping inside the tent. I immediately woke her up and we ran out. The moment we got to the other side, I heard someone scream. When I went to help, a woman was almost drowned. I shouted for help and four others came to help. It almost took an hour to rescue the woman.”
According to the Member of Parliament of Khatoed-Laya, some amounts of cordyceps collected by the victims have been recovered from the place with the help of search teams. However, the ones recovered have almost been damaged.
For now, the tragic incident serves as a reminder to both the cordyceps collectors and the concerned authorities.
“I feel there is a need for the government to improve communication network services for the highlanders which are not there right now. I feel communication during such mishaps is helpful. And from the collector’s side, it is their responsibility to set up the camps at a safer place where such mishaps can be avoided. This is a great reminder for the future,” said Tenzin, the MP of Khatoed-Laya in Gasa.
“From the local government’s side, we are planning to create awareness and sensitize people about the safety measures while going for cordyceps collection. We are also planning to sensitize them about the importance of avoiding camping at dangerous sites such as near lakes or rivers. Hereafter, we will remind the collectors to camp at a relatively safer place either on the hilltops or in a plain area where such mishaps can be avoided,” added Passang, the Chongra-Loobcha Chiwog Tshogpa.
Meanwhile, from the five injured who were airlifted and hospitalized at the National Referral hospital, two have been discharged while three are in stable condition.
Changa Dorji, Gasa
