KATHMANDU, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- As many as three people died of meningitis in southern Kapilvastu district over last two months, state run daily The Rising Nepal reported here on Sunday.

    "Two children of same family and a woman died of disease at Barkulpar village of the district, some 150 km south-west of Kathmandu," the English language newspaper quoted Ram Asare Tharu as reporting.

    "Three serious patients have been taken to Mission hospital in neighboring Palpa district on Friday," according to the locals. Other two patients are undergoing treatment in the village, as they are unable to afford treatment cost, they said.

    The patients were having headache, fever, stomach problem, difficulties in speaking and lack of interest in eating foods as a result of the disease.

    The disease has spread in Tharu community that is considered as one of the underprivileged people of the country.

    Although the village is a far of just one kilometer from the east-west highway and accessible to major hospitals around region, the disease is spreading due to lack of awareness among people in the community, said another local Shri Niwas Chaudhary.

    Officials at the district health office said, however, they were not informed about the disease being spread in the village. "So, we could not reach there with treatment materials on time," they added.