Fuel shortage forces more than half of Nepal's domestic flights to be canceled

KATHMANDU, Nepal – An airport official says airlines in Nepal have been forced to cancel more than half of their domestic flights because of an ongoing fuel shortage.

Utsav Raj Kharel, the manager of Kathmandu's airport, says more than 70 percent of domestic flights were canceled Sunday and about half were canceled Monday.

International flights were operating on a normal schedule because they are required to fill their tanks before flying to Nepal.

Passengers were stranded by the canceled flights in Kathmandu, the capital, and other cities.

For weeks, members of the Madhesi ethnic community protesting Nepal's new constitution have blocked the southern border with India, preventing fuel and other essential items from entering the country.