The Kanchanrup Municipality has been declared a disaster-hit zone after many people were found infected with the Swine Flu and Hong Kong Flu virus.

An emergency meeting of the District Natural Disaster Relief Committee, Saptari ,took the decision after samples sent to the Epidemiology and Epidemic Control Unit in Kathmandu were confirmed positive, according to Mayor Basant Mishra.

People suffering from cough and fever in the municipality area were found to be carrying the H1N1 (Swine flu) and H3N2 (Hong Kong flu) virus. Of the 24 samples sent to Kathmandu, one person was found suffering from Swine flu and 10 from Hong Kong flu, according to chief of district public health office, Saptari Niranjan Prasad Yadav.

Five people have died so far, including Bhalsardevi Sardar,60, of ward no. 4, Dipbash Basnet,14, Kishore Ram,14, and Amod Kumar Ram,14, of ward no. 7 in the municipality and eight-year-old Mahaful Alam of Mahadeva rural municipality. However, it is not yet confirmed that the deaths were due to the virus, Yadav said. RSS