66 killed in landslides, floods in Nepal

Kathmandu, Sep 29 (IANS) Landslides and floods induced by incessant rainfalls in Nepal had left 66 people dead and 60 others injured, the Home Ministry said.

Rishiram Tiwari, the Ministry's Spokesperson, said on Saturday in a statement that 69 people had gone missing, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The Kathmandu Valley suffered the highest loss with 34 deaths," Tiwari said, noting that more than 3,000 people had been rescued by security forces and the government had decided to provide free treatment to the injured and start a rehabilitation programme as early as possible for those who lost their houses.

Several highways and bridges were destroyed in different parts of the country, and clearing the highways is the government's top priority, the Spokesperson said.

According to a Nepal police statement, almost all the highways, including those connecting the rest of the country with the capital city of Kathmandu, had been obstructed due to the disasters.

Nepal's Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, meanwhile, urged all the local governments to close the schools for three days starting from Sunday and decided to postpone all the examinations at the university level which had been scheduled until Tuesday.

Nepal has seen more-than-average rainfalls during the monsoon season this year, which started on June 10 and is coming to an end.

Parts of Kathmandu were inundated by swollen rivers with many houses flooded and residents forced to move to top floors. A huge area on the southern side of the city was mostly flooded and an army helicopter was used to pick up four people who were unable to leave their houses.

Most of Kathmandu was without power and internet for a period of time.

The monsoon season that brings heavy rainfall began in June and usually ends by mid-September.

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