Kathmandu (AsiaNews) – Nepali Hindus in western and mid-western regions were unable to celebrate the great annual Hindu festival of Rakshya Bandhan (Holy Thread) because of a diarrhoea outbreak which claimed hundreds of lives in the affected areas. Official sources put the death toll at 240, but several NGOs claim that at least 500 people died, and the crisis is not over yet.

Dr Bal Krishna Subedi, director at Department of Health, said the districts of Jajarkot and Rukum are the most affected.

The government has set up 89 health camps staffed with almost 300 medical personnel to cope with the crisis.

According to Dr Suddha Sharma, “the government has contained the epidemic in other districts to a large extent”.

Hari Khatri from the district of Jajarkot (western Nepal) told AsiaNews that too many people have died for anyone to want to celebrate.

Saina Magar, 66, lost three children. Now she needs medicines but food as well to survive.

In fact the outbreak was caused and made worse by widespread food shortages, which led people to eat infected and unhygienic food.

According to tradition, at Rakshya Bandhan a Hindu priest ties holy threads around the right wrist of unmarried men and women and around the left wrist of married women.

Wearing such threads the faithful recite prayers together calling for divine help against evil.

Locals believe that the ritual favours a long life.