Kathmandu - At least 15 people were killed and more than 170
injured by a storm that struck southern and western Nepal, officials
said Sunday.
Six districts reported fatalities, the majority of the which were
caused by collapsing houses and walls and falling trees.
In Rautahat district, about 120 kilometres south-east of the
capital Kathmandu, at least six people, including four children, were
killed when they were crushed by a collapsing roof, the police said.
'The six were crushed by a falling roof after their homes were
damaged by the strong winds,' said Ghananand Bhatta, superintendent
of police of Rautahat district. 'More than 70 people were injured
either by flying debris or were caught in collapsed houses.'
Police said nearly 400 houses in four villages were damaged by the
storm, which hit the district early Sunday morning.
Three more people died in neighbouring Parsa district, two in
Kapilvastu district, and one each in Mahottari and Sarlahi districts.
Nepalese police said in Parsa district, more than 100 people had
been injured by the storm and many were in serious condition.
In Mahottari, the fatality was a six-month-old infant crushed
after the wall of her house collapsed while seven students were
injured in a separate incident.
Two more people died in Gorkha district, about 120 kilometres west
of Kathmandu, when they were struck by lightning. The country's
meteorological department said the storm system had now moved into
north-eastern India.
'The storm was produced by a major system which affected much of
the country on Saturday night and Sunday morning,' meteorologist K B
Malla said. 'It was accompanied by strong winds and heavy rains in
some areas.'
Malla estimated that wind gusts of up to 60 kilometres per hour
accompanied the storm, but said a full report was awaited.
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