Nepal revises coronavirus death toll

Published February 24, 2021

Nepal has added 619 deaths — an almost 30 per cent rise — to its coronavirus toll, blaming a numbers discrepancy between different government branches.

The toll jumped to 2,684 dead after the health ministry added 618 fatalities from last year and one new death in its daily report.

Ministry spokesman Jageshwor Gautam told AFP the extra dead had all been Covid-19 patients who died outside hospitals before mid-December last year.

“Home deaths had not been properly accounted for in the ministry's data, but the army was disposing of the bodies,” Gautam said.

Opinion

Editorial

A difficult story
Updated 12 Jun, 2026

A difficult story

Unless productivity becomes the dominant target of economic policy, Pakistan will continue to oscillate between crises and fragile recovery.
Rough waters
12 Jun, 2026

Rough waters

AMONGST the key potential triggers for fresh conflict in South Asia is water. The Indian state is behaving in an...
Politicised football
12 Jun, 2026

Politicised football

ALMOST three-and-half years since Lionel Messi led Argentina to FIFA World Cup glory, the latest edition of...
GB polls’ aftermath
Updated 11 Jun, 2026

GB polls’ aftermath

The new administration must address the region’s issues proactively.
Peace in retreat
11 Jun, 2026

Peace in retreat

THE ceasefire announced in April was supposed to create space for negotiations. Instead, it has been repeatedly...
A few good men
11 Jun, 2026

A few good men

IT was a brave move, no doubt. This Tuesday, in the land of the Afghan Taliban, a few good men decided to take a...