One dead in rival group clashes in Nepal town

Kathmandu, Dec 27: One person was killed and more than a dozen injured in clashes between rival groups in a southwestern Nepal town, a district official today said.

The incident took place yesterday in the border town of Nepalgunj, 320 km southwest of Kathmandu, during clashes between people from Nepal's hills and those living on its southern plains, district official Bishnu Upadhyay said.

He said it was not clear how the person had died.

The violence erupted after activists of the Nepal Sadbhavana Party, a small political group in the ruling alliance, were accused of attacking vehicles and businesses belonging to people living in the hills during a strike called by the party on Monday.

Yesterday, rival groups defied a precautionary curfew and took to the streets of Nepalgunj setting businesses on fire and ransacking shops and restaurants.

''The curfew imposed yesterday will continue today after a three-hour relaxation in the morning to allow people to buy essentials and for a peace rally planned by political parties to take place,'' Upadhyay said.

Various political parties as well as the government have called for restraint and appealed for calm.

Reuters