Severe thunderstorm in Nepal leaves 25 dead, hundreds injured

Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli said that helicopters were ready for rescue work

Nepali villagers search for belongings in the debris of homes at Bhaluhi Bharbaliya village in Nepal's southern Bara district near Birgunj on April 1, 2019, the morning after a rare spring storm. AFP

At least 25 people were killed and hundreds injured in a severe thunderstorm that swept through parts of southern Nepal late on Sunday.

Nepal's Prime Minister, KP Sharma Oli, said in a tweet that about 400 people were injured.

"Helicopters have been kept ready for immediate rescue and relief," Mr Oli said.

He offered condolences to the families of the victims.

Rajesh Paudel, the top bureaucrat of Bara district where the storm hit, said the death toll could increase because rescuers were still trying to reach many of those affected.

Bara is about 62 kilometres south of Kathmandu and borders India's eastern state of Bihar.

Thunderstorms are common in Nepal during the spring season before the monsoons, but are rarely strong enough to cause high casualties.

Police officer Sanu Ram Bhattarai said rescue teams had been sent to the affected villages but reaching the victims was difficult at night.

The wind and rain uprooted trees and electric and telephone poles, crushing people to death.