22 dead in monsoon floods in Nepal

KATHMANDU — At least 22 people have been killed in landslides and floods triggered by heavy monsoon rain in remote parts of Nepal, a government spokesman said Wednesday.

“So far, 22 people from across the country have been killed by landslides and floods. Eighteen

more are missing,” Shankar Koirala, a spokesman in the Ministry of Home Affairs told AFP.

More than 100 homes have also been damaged by the floods in mainly western Nepal, the spokesman said, as the government held an emergency meeting and agreed to step up relief efforts.

“Every victim’s family will be provided with a relief package of 40,000 rupees ($425). We have also dispatched a helicopter carrying blankets and medicines to the disaster hit region,” Koirala said.

Hundreds of people die every year from flooding and landslides during the monsoon season in Nepal.

The annual monsoon has also struck early over the border in India, with flash floods washing away homes and roads, leaving at least 120 people dead.