KATHMANDU, Sept 29 (NNN-XINHUA) – Landslides and floods, induced by incessant rainfalls in Nepal, left 66 people dead and 60 others injured by last night, the home ministry said.
Rishiram Tiwari, the ministry’s spokesperson, said in a statement that, 69 people had gone missing.
“The Kathmandu Valley suffered the highest loss with 34 deaths,” Tiwari said, noting that, over 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 schools for three days, starting from today, and decided to postpone all 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 Jun 10. However, it is coming to an end soon.– NNN-XINHUA
