Nepal cracks down on online abuse of flood survivors

Nepal is cracking down on online abuse directed at survivors of last month's deadly floods, with Prime Minister Balendra Shah warning that authorities will "show no leniency" to people who "belittle" those who are suffering.

Some have taken to social media to appeal for information about their loved ones and to urge officials to step up search efforts, only to be hit by hostile comments.

"People who make unnecessary remarks, belittle those in pain or seek to cause them further suffering at this sensitive time are criminals," Shah wrote in a Facebook post.

Nepali police say they are looking into where these comments have originated from to identify addresses and phone numbers.

A woman, whose brother has been missing since the floods hit two weeks ago, had earlier told the BBC that search and rescue operations were too slow.

"If the government had mobilised experts and equipment for rescue in time, would we have known the condition of our family members sooner?

Days later, she wrote back saying she had "received many nasty comments" in response to her criticism of the search efforts.

"We are already suffering so much and this has only added to our pain," she said.