Massive dust storm sweeps through Kathmandu, Nepal

A massive dust storm engulfed Kathmandu, Nepal for 45 minutes on March 28, 2016, injuring, at least, a half a dozen people and causing traffic chaos.

For the past one week, Kathmandu and many other parts of the country have been shrouded in a blanket of haze, with increased concentration of particulate matter, according to media reports.

Winds that surfaced Kathmandu Valley on Monday had an estimated speed of 82 km/h (51 mph). People on the roads took shelters at various spots to avoid the dust, commuters were forced to stop their vehicles on the road and several domestic and some international flights were diverted.

Nepal Police said a total of seven people were injured due to the storm. Three of them were injured in the heart of Kathmandu after a tree fell on them due to the gusty wind, The New Indian Express reported.

Barun Poudel, an official at the meteorology department, said the situation was unlikely to improve anytime soon.

Video credit: ek Channel

Video credit: Tanish Singh

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