At least 12 villagers, mostly children, have died in an outbreak of diarrhoea in two VDCs of Salyan district since Thursday.

The deaths were reported in Ward no. 6, 4 and 2 of Kalagaon VDC and Ward no. 4 of Marmaparikanda VDC.

Several others have been suffering from diarrhoea caused by polluted drinking water. Lack of toilets in the villages is causing fast spread of the disease, reports say.

Following complaints of lack of medicines in local health posts, the District Public Health Office has sent a team of health workers to the affected areas with medicines.