Death toll from Nepal flood reaches 27 =

 Kathmandu (dpa) - The death toll from the flooding of a river in Nepal has reached 27, with over 40 people still missing, the National Emergency Operation Centre said Wednesday.

The flood was caused by a mid-week avalanche on the slopes of the Machhapuchre peak in the Annapurna range. As the mass of mud flowed down the valley, the river burst its banks on Saturday.

Three Ukrainian citizens were among the missing.

The flood occurred near the tourist town of Pokhara, about 200 kilometres west of Kathmandu, washing away settlements, bridges, vehicles, trees and farmland.

Villagers were forced to spend nights in the forest after being left homeless by the flood.

Police said nearly 600 rescue personnel had been mobilized.
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Author: Pratibha Tuladhar

LEAD: Flash flood on Nepal river kills 17, 47 missing

Eds: Updates death toll =

   Kathmandu (dpa) - The muddy, rising waters of a river in Nepal have so far killed 17 people and have left 47 missing, authorities said Sunday as residents coped with a second day of flash flooding.

   Television news footage showed the Seti River transformed into a sea of mud in Nepal's western district of Kaski.

   The flood was caused by a mid-week avalanche high up the valley, on the slopes of the Machhapuchre (Fishtail) peak in the Annapurna range of mountains. As the mass of mud flowed down the valley, the river burst its banks on Saturday.

   Maria Dubinska, a Ukrainian citizen who was rescued on Saturday, told dpa her father Oleksandr Dubinskiy and her relatives Alla Polonchuk and Ivan Malaknov were among those missing in the flood.

   The flooding occurred near the tourist town of Pokhara, about 200 kilometres west of the capital Kathmandu. The muddy water washed away settlements, bridges, vehicles, trees and farmland.

   Picknickers, school children and farmers were among the dead and missing.

   The police and army were continuing their search operations, despite dwindling hopes of finding anyone alive.

   Essential services such as piped water and electricity were cut off in many villages and towns because of the flooding.
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Author: Pratibha Tuladhar

Death toll from Nepal flood revised to 15

   Kathmandu (dpa) - The death toll from the flood triggered by an avalanche in Nepal's western district of Kaski rose to 15 after a person admitted to hospital after being rescued died Sunday.

   Police said 42 people were still missing. Three people in hospital were said to be in critical condition. Police said three Russian tourists were among those missing.

   An avalanche on Machhapuchre (Fishtail) peak on the Annapurna range of mountains, three days ago had blocked Seti River, which then burst its banks on Saturday, flooding the region. The flooding occurred near the tourist town of Pokhara, about 200 kilometres west of the capital Kathmandu.

   The flooding washed away people, settlements, bridges, vehicles and farmland.
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Author: Pratibha Tuladhar

Eleven killed in Nepal as jeep plunges into river

   Kathmandu (dpa) - Eleven people were killed when a jeep veered off a road and plunged into a river in Nepal Sunday, local media said.

   The vehicle plunged 300 metres near Dhital village, about 250 kilometres west of the capital Kathmandu, according to Kantipur Television. Three people were injured in the accident.

   On Saturday, 14 people died in the same district after a flash flood in the Seti River.
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Nepal prime minister expands cabinet =

   Kathmandu (dpa) - Nepali Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai named 11 ministers to his cabinet late Saturday after his cabinet resigned en masse earlier in the week to make way for a unity government to draft a constitution.

   The new ministers representing the Maoist, Nepali Congress and the Madhesi Front parties, were sworn in at the presidential palace.

   On Thursday, all the ministers in Bhattarai's government, representing the Maoists and the Madhesi Front parties, resigned to make way for a national consensus government.

   Nepal faces with a May 27 deadline to write a new constitution. But the process has been delayed amid disagreement on the system of governance, electoral system and division of provinces.

   The fourth partner in the new national unity government, the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxists-Leninists (UML) is yet to name which members will join the new cabinet.

   Bhattarai, from the Maoist party, has been prime minister since August 2011. His predecessor Jhalanath Khanal stepped down after failing to make any progress in the peace process and drafting of a constitution.

   Bhattarai took credit for completion of the peace process as former Maoist soldiers were brought under control of the government last month.

   The Maoists fought a decade-long insurgency that ended in 2006 when they signed a peace pact with the government. They entered mainstream politics in a constituent assembly election in 2008.
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Fourteen killed in Nepal in flash flood triggered by avalanche

   Kathmandu (dpa) - Fourteen people were killed and more than 50 suspected missing in flooding triggered by an avalanche in Nepal's western district of Kaski Saturday, police confirmed.

   Police said an avalanche on Machhapuchre (Fishtail) peak three days ago had blocked Seti River, which then burst its banks on Saturday, flooding the region.

   The flooding washed away people, settlements, bridges, vehicles and farmland. Police said three Russian tourists, who had been trekking in the area, were among those missing.

   The flooding occurred near the tourist town of Pokhara, about 200 kilometres west of the capital Kathmandu.

   The army and police were helping with rescue operations and said the death toll could rise further as three among the rescued were in critical condition.
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Nepal cabinet resigns en masse to make way for unity government =

   Kathmandu (dpa) – All 49 ministers in Nepal's cabinet resigned en masse late Thursday, in a bid to resolve a long standing political stalemate.

   The ministers from the Maoist party and the Madhesi Font resigned under an agreement struck earlier to form a unity government in the next three days.

   That government will be under the current prime minister, Baburam Bhattarai.

   The parties said the move to form a national consensus government would speed up the process of drafting a constitution, which has been stalemated due to bickering among the parties on a number of issues.

   Deputy Prime Minister and Maoist Vice Chairman Narayankaji Shrestha said the new government would include the key opposition parties such as the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxists-Leninists (UML).

   Baburam Bhattarai, from the Maoist party, has been prime minister since August 2011 - after his predecessor Jhalanath Khanal stepped down, failing to make any progress in the peace process and constitution process.

   Bhattarai took credit for completion of the peace process as the former Maoist soldiers were brought under control of the government last month.

   Maoists fought a decade-long insurgency that ended in 2006 when they signed a peace pact with the government. They entered mainstream politics through constituent assembly election in 2008.

   Nepal is currently faced with a May 27 deadline to write a new constitution. But the process has been delayed as consensus on the system of governance, electoral system and division of provinces has been disputed by the parties.
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Author: Pratibha Tuladhar