Death toll in Nepal floods and landslides rises to 21

The death toll from landslides and flooding brought on by incessant rainfall in Nepal has risen to 21, dpa quoted the Home Ministry as saying Tuesday. Authorities said five people were missing in the central and western regions. Seven members of a family in the far-western district of Dailekhand another family of five in nearby Baitadi district were killed when landslide buried their houses. In Kalikot district, also in far-western Nepal, six people died after they were swept away by a river. Four others were still missing in the incident. A mother and a child were killed in Accham district as a swollen river swept away their house. A man was killed in Doti after being buried by landslide. A woman was missing in the area after she was swept away by floods. With the onset of the monsoon, rivers have swollen across the country, washing away people and houses. The Home Ministry said at least a hundred houses were destroyed in western Nepal. More than five hundred people have been left homeless. Highways have been disrupted leaving travellers stranded. The government has announced a relief package for the flood victims and has deployed army choppers to airlift people stranded due to floods as well as to distribute relief material.