South Asia News

Nepal landslide, flood toll crosses 50

Oct 8, 2009, 14:36 GMT

Kathmandu - The death toll from flooding and landslides in western Nepal rose to 54 with thousands of others displaced from their homes, government officials said Thursday. The flash floods and landslides were triggered by heavy rains which began falling Sunday evening and left a trail of destruction as the system moved east across the Himalayan nation. Government officials and police said at least a dozen deaths were reported on Thursday from western Nepal. The army, police and civil volunteers were mobilized to distribute relief supplies and rescue stranded people, but rescue workers were facing difficulties due to swollen rivers and poor road conditions in remote areas. In Kailali district, about 450 kilometres west of the Nepalese capital, over 6,000 people were displaced from their homes by floods. The worst affected areas were Dadeldhura and Accham districts, where at least 35 people died in landslides. At least a dozen districts were affected by the rains which also damaged highways and brought down power and telephone lines. In the plains of western Nepal, the floods damaged thousands of hectares of farmland where fields were being readied for harvest. The bad weather also halted air service to the region from Kathmandu.

South Asia News

Nepal landslide, flood toll crosses 50

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