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Jul 24, 2008, 5:34 GMT Kathmandu - Thousands of people were displaced from their homes in
eastern Nepal after flooding caused by heavy monsoon rains inundated
their villages, media reports said Thursday.
More than 1,500 houses were partially underwater in Saptari and Sunsari
districts, about 400 kilometres east of the capital, forcing residents
to seek refuge elsewhere, the Kathmandu Post newspaper reported. 'Over two dozen villages were inundated by floods triggered by
continuous rainfall since Tuesday evening,' the newspaper said. 'The
houses were under one metre of water which destroyed foodstuffs,
clothing and other material.' Officials said about 9,000 people were affected by the floods in eastern
Nepal. The villages were inundated after the Khado River burst a dam, sending
water into villages and agricultural land. In the neighbouring Sunsari district, the Koshi River burst its banks in
several places, inundating dozens more villages. The flooding in the river submerged an embankment designed to check
flooding and was now posing a threat to thousands of people living nearby. The flooding also disrupted transport along the major highway in several
places after portions of the road was damaged and a bridge was washed away. There are also growing concerns about the spread of water-borne diseases
such as diarrhoea as people find it difficult to obtain clean drinking
water, the newspaper said. Nepal receives nearly 80 per cent of its total annual rainfall during
the monsoon season that lasts from June to late September. Rainfall is
often heavy, causing landslides and flash floods. About 25 people have so far died in flood and landslide since the start
of monsoon rains in June. The number of death and the scale of flooding has been low this year in
comparison to last year, mainly because of subdued monsoon. According to government figures, at least 150 people were killed and
more than 250,000 displaced from their home during flooding last year.
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