Common cold and fever cases up in Kailali
Common cold and fever cases have increased in Kailali of late. Number of patients turning up to the health facilities, including Tikapur Hospital and Tikapur Municipality-based health service providing institutions have increased compared to previous days. "Common cold with high fever has troubled all family members including minors. We have not sent our children to school due to high fever", said Arbind BK, a local of Tikapur. As informed, the number of patients turning up to the health facility at Tikapur-based Bijayanagar City Health Centre now has doubled than that was in the normal times before. In-charge of City Health Centre Usha Shah said all members of families were found ill. "Daily up to 35 people used to visit the clinic. It has now increased to 60", she added. Likewise, the number of patients visiting Manikapur-based City Health Centre has also whopped. Health worker Kabita Khadka said the number of people visiting the health centers here have doubled in recent days. "Most of the patients visiting the health facility are complaining of common cold, fever and respiratory complications.” The cases of seasonal common cold and fever have heightened after the rainy season, said Public Health Inspector Kewal Singh Sarki. With the cases on the rise, Kailali Municipality has urged the public to compulsorily wear face masks, test Covid on suspect and take care of necessary treatment.
One killed in Morang fire
A person died when a fire broke out at a house in Belepur of Sundarharaicha Municipalty-11, Morang in Wednesday. DSP Deepak Shrestha, spokesperson at the District Police Office, Morang said that the fire broke out at the two-storey house of Bal Krishna Giri at around 11 pm yesterday. He said that Kumar Shrestha (38) of Sundarharaicha-11, who was sleeping in the house, died in the incident. He, a painter by profession, had been living the house of Shrestha for the past three days. The house of Shrestha was completely destroyed in the flame. The fire was taken under control with the help of locals, police personnel and fire engines at around 2 am today. Details of the property destroyed in the fire, however, is yet to be ascertained, DSP Shrestha said. He said that police are looking into the incident.
China inducing rainfall to combat severe drought
Chinese authorities are attempting to induce rainfall in parts of central and southwest China amid a severe drought and record-breaking heatwave, BBC reported.
The Yangtze River - Asia's longest waterway - is now at record low levels. In some stretches, there has been less than half the usual rainfall.
Hydropower reservoirs are currently down by as much as half, officials say.
At the same time, a surge in demand for air conditioning has put power companies under extreme pressure.
The two-month-long heatwave is the longest on record in China, the National Climate Centre said.
Provinces around the drought-stricken Yangtze river have turned to cloud seeding operations to combat the lack of rain, with Hubei and a number of other provinces launching rockets carrying chemicals into the sky, according to local media.
But a lack of cloud cover has stalled efforts in some areas seeking to do the same.Meanwhile, temperatures across Sichuan and neighbouring provinces have exceeded 40C (104 F).
As a result, government offices in Sichuan were asked to keep air conditioning levels at no lower than 26C (79 F), according to the Sichuan Daily quoted by Reuters news agency. Workers have also been asked to use staircases rather than lifts where possible.
Millions of residents have also been hit with black outs in the province.
In the city of Dazhou, home to some 5.4 million people, blackouts are lasting up to three hours, local media report, according to BBC.
They say factories in the province have been forced to cut production or halt work as part of emergency measures to redirect power supplies to households.
Algeria forest fires: At least 26 dead, minister says
At least 26 people have been killed and dozens more injured in forest fires that have devastated northern Algeria, BBC reported.
Kamel Beldjoud, the country's interior minister, said 24 died in El Tarf, near the border with Tunisia, as well as a mother and daughter in Setif.
Firefighters, supported by helicopters, were still trying to contain several blazes on Wednesday evening.
Reports say some 350 residents have been evacuated in various provinces.
The civil protection agency said that El Tarf was the worst hit area with 16 fires in progress.
