Thunderstorm in Nepal leaves 25 people dead

International Desk: At least 27 people have been killed and hundreds injured after a freak storm hit southern Nepal, destroying houses, uprooting trees and toppling electricity poles, officials said.

The thunderstorm swept through the district of Bara and adjoining areas late Sunday killing at least 27 people and injuring more than 600, according to the home ministry.

"The winds took away everything, my home and my family," Ram Babu Patel, 45, who lost his wife in the storm in a village in Bara, told AFP over the phone.

Prakash Tharu, a volunteer on the ground, described a scene of devastation in the villages.

"The storm destroyed everything in its path. Houses have no roofs and trees are all down," Tharu said.

"There is a desperate need for food and relief."

Local and district hospitals were inundated with injured victims coming in from the affected areas.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli expressed his condolences in a tweet and said that the government would do its best for treatment of the injured.

Storms causing such high casualties in spring are rare in Nepal.

Agencies


risingbd/Dhaka/Apr 1, 2019/Nasim