14 die in Nepal bus plunge =

Kathmandu (dpa) - Fourteen people were killed in Nepal early Thursday when a bus plunged down a hill, police said.

Seven others were injured when the bus skidded off the road and fell about 200 metres into a river in the western district of Palpa.

Police suspected the driver had fallen asleep on the steep road.

About 30 people were said to be aboard the bus.

Army and police were searching for survivors, with the help of local residents.

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- Reporting by: Pratibha Tuladhar
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15 die in Nepal bus accident =

March 4,2013
   Kathmandu (dpa)- Fifteen people were killed when a bus carrying wedding guests crashed down a hillside in  south-western Nepal, police said on Monday.

   At least 25 people were injured in the accident in the district of Palpa,  police officer Sthaneshwor Regmi said.

   The bus tumbled about 300 metres into a river Sunday night.

   Police suspected the driver was under the influence of alcohol.
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Three foreign trekkers die in Nepal =

   Kathmandu (dpa) - Three foreign trekkers have died in separate incidents in north-western Nepal, local media reported Thursday.

   A German trekker died of altitude sickness in Dhaulagiri district, according to Kantipur news portal.

   In a separate incident, an Israeli tourist died when he fell off a bridge into Kaligandaki river at Jomsom, in Mustang district.

   An Austrian trekker died of a heart attack in a hospital, also in Mustang.
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Nepal plane crash blamed on hitting eagle =

   Kathmandu (dpa) – Nepal’s civil aviation authorities said Thursday that the plane crash that killed all 19 people on board last week was caused by an eagle.

   Officials told a press conference that an eagle weighing around three kilos had hit the Donier aircraft, causing the crash.

   The authorities had previously suggested that the most likely cause of the was that the pilots attempted to return to the capital's Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) after a collision with an bird shortly after take-off.

   On Sunday, the government said the Bird Control Committee, which ensures the removal of birds from the airport vicinity, had been activated.

   Nepal's aviation safety record has come under heavy criticism following the crash.

   Local newspapers and analysts have said not enough was being done to ensure flight safety in the Himalayan country.

   Seven Britons, four Chinese, an US citizen of Chinese origin and seven Nepalis were killed in the crash last Friday.

   The Dornier aircraft, operated by Sita Air, was heading from Kathmandu to the Mount Everest region, in the north-east of the country. The bodies are badly burnt and still awaiting identification.

   Nepal has witnessed 74 aviation accidents that have left more than 700 people dead since 1949.
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2ND LEAD: Plane crash in Nepal kills 19, safety measures questioned

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   Kathmandu (dpa) – The pilots of a plane with 19 people on board that crashed near Kathmandu on Friday had been attempting to make an emergency landing, Nepalese authorities said.

   “It appears they were trying to land near the (Manohara) river to avoid settlements, but the plane nose-dived on the banks of the river and caught fire," said Ratish Lal Chandra Suman of the Civil Aviation Authority.

   The Dornier aircraft, operated by Sita Air, was heading from Kathmandu to the Mount Everest region, in the north-east of the country, when it came down after apparently colliding with birds shortly after take-off, airport authorities said.

   None of the plane's three-strong crew and 16 passengers survived the crash. The victims include seven Britons and five Chinese citizens, police told the local Kantipur Television.

   Witnesses told local media that they had seen passengers waving through the windows for help as the aircraft caught fire.

   Authorities said they had not yet been able to identify the bodies, which were charred beyond recognition and transported to the Teaching Hospital for autopsies.

   The accident has renewed questions about air safety in Nepal, a country with a long history of air crashes.

   According to Toya Dahal, a journalist who specializes in the civil aviation sector, Nepal has witnessed 74 aviation accidents that have left more than 700 people dead since 1949, with human error often being blamed.

   "In Nepal, 95 per cent of crashes occur due to human error, while internationally, only 20 per cent happen due to human error, with the rest being caused by technical faults,” Dahal said.

   "Besides the difficult terrain, common problems seen leading to crashes in Nepal are overloading and lack of aircraft maintenance."

   Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority has come under strong criticism for failing to enforce adequate monitoring.
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LEAD: Plane crash in Nepal kills 19 =

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   Kathmandu (dpa) – The pilots of a plane that crashed killing all 19 on board Friday in Kathmandu were trying to make an emergency landing, Nepalese authorities said.

   The pilots had attempted to return to the capital's Tribhuvan International Airport after the plane collied with birds shortly after take-off, the Civil Aviation Authority said in a press release

   “It appeared they were trying to land near the (Manohara) river to avoid settlements, but the plane nose-dived on the banks of the river and caught fire," said Ratish Lal Chandra Suman, an officer at the Civil Aviation Authority.

   Some witnesses told local television stations that they saw passengers waving through the windows for help as the aircraft caught fire.

   The dead comprised 16 passengers and three crew members. There were seven British and five Chinese citizens among the dead, police told the local Kantipur Television.

   Sita Air, the operator of the flight, said there were 12 foreign and four Nepalese passengers on board as well as three Nepalese crew members.

   The Dornier aircraft was heading from Kathmandu to Lukla in the Mount Everest region in the north-east of the country when it came down, airport authorities said.

   Authorities said they had not been able to identify the bodies, and that they had been transported to the Teaching Hospital for autopsy. TV footage showed bodies charred beyond recognition.

   More than 700 people have died in air crashes in the South Asian country since 1955.
dpa

19 killed in Nepal plane crash =

   Kathmandu (dpa) – A plane crash killed 19 people Friday in the  Nepalese capital Kathmandu, local media reported.

   The dead comprised 16 passengers and three crew members, according to government-run Nepal television.

   The Dornier aircraft operated by Sita Air was heading from Kathmandu to Lukla in the Mount Everest region in the east of the country when it came down near the capital's Tribhuvan International Airport, airport authorities said.

   Witnesses told local television stations that the plane caught fire soon after it took off and then crashed into the banks of the Manohara River.

   Sita Air said there were 12 foreign and four Nepalese passengers on board as well as three Nepalese crew members.
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Darkness descended with deadly avalanche, survivor says =

   Kathmandu (dpa) - A survivor told of darkness then death as an avalanche plunged down the world's eighth-highest mountain, killing at least eight climbers.

   The avalanche struck before dawn Sunday on Mount Manaslu in north-western Nepal as the climbers were sleeping.

   "All of a sudden, there was darkness," Andreas Reiter, 26, a German survivor, told local media. "I could imagine that we were buried under the avalanche."

   "I witnessed one of my team members die," he said.

   Nepal's government on Tuesday revised the death toll down to eight as hopes dimmed for finding three other missing climbers.

   Some sources had earlier said that up to 12 bodies had been recovered as agencies gave conflicting death tolls in the immediate aftermath of the accident.

   Those confirmed dead were a Nepali trekking guide and seven Europeans - four French nationals, a German, one Italian and one Spaniard - said Dipendra Paudel at the Tourism Ministry's Mountaineering Section, which is in charge of the rescue and recovery work.

   "We will continue searching for the remaining three [missing], of course, but there is little chance of finding them alive now," Paudel said of the two Frenchmen and a Canadian who were buried in the avalanche at a height of about 7,000 metres.

   Three Frenchmen and two Germans were rescued and discharged after receiving treatment at hospital in Kathmandu, Paudel said.

   Mount Manaslu is called the "Killer Mountain" by locals for its steepness. The 8,156-metre peak is prone to avalanches and at least 60 people have died on it, according to government figures.
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LEAD: Most known victims of Nepal's avalanche were European citizens

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   Kathmandu (dpa) – Most of the climbers known to have died in an avalanche on Nepal’s Mount Manaslu were European citizens, police said Monday, with one figure placing the number of dead at 12.

   “Among the dead were a German, a Spaniard, four Frenchmen, an Italian and a Nepali,” said police officer Anit Thapa. He said five people had been rescued and airlifted to Kathmandu hospitals but did not disclose their nationalities.

   "The nationalities of those missing are yet to be identified," Thapa said.
  
   The death toll and the number of missing from Sunday’s avalanche on the world's eighth highest mountain, were conflicting.

   Government figures said eight people were confirmed dead, while the Nepal Mountaineering Association said 12 people had died.

  "Exact details are still hard to confirm because we have received different figures from different sources," said Zimba Jangbu Sherpa, president of the association.

   "Five people are missing, according to the information we have," he added.

   The avalanche struck at a height of around 7,000 metres, as climbers were preparing to set off for the summit.
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Manaslu avalanche

Death toll reaches 12 after avalanche hits climbers in Nepal =

   Kathmandu (dpa) - The death toll in an avalanche in Nepal has risen to 12, the Nepal Mountaineering Association said Monday.

   The avalanche struck Mount Manaslu on Sunday at a height of around 7,000 metres when climbers were preparing to set off for the summit.

   Eleven people were killed on the mountain and one died after he was taken to Kathmandu for treatment, the Nepal Mountaineering Association said.

   “Exact details are still hard to confirm because we have received different figures from different sources," said Zimba Jangbu Sherpa, president of the association.

   He said 18 had been rescued and taken to Samagaon, the nearest village from the base camp.

   “Five people are still missing, according to the information we have,” he added.

   There have been conflicting reports on the death toll and number of people missing.

  “Rescue operations go on for days before we are able to locate the missing, so we can’t really confirm the total number of dead right now," said Dipendra Paudel of the Tourism Ministry's mountain section.

   The tourism ministry said a Nepali, a German and a Spaniard were among the killed. It said six French nationals, an Italian and a Canadian were among those missing. Three French climbers, two Germans and a Nepali climber were airlifted to hospitals in Kathmandu, police said.

   Mount Manaslu is the world's eighth-highest mountain.
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2ND LEAD: Spanish and German tourists killed in Nepal avalanche 
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   Kathmandu (dpa) – Rescuers recovered the bodies of at least nine climbers killed in an avalanche in the Himalayas on Sunday, according to Nepal's Tourism Ministry.
  
   A German, a Spanish and a Nepali national were among those killed in the avalanche at a height of some 7,000 metres in the Mount Manaslu region. There were conflicting reports on the numbers of those missing and rescued.

   The ministry said eight people were missing, comprising six French nationals, an Italian and a Canadian. Police said that four were missing and that 13 people had been rescued.

   Three French climbers, two Germans and a Nepali climber were airlifted to hospitals in Kathmandu, police said.

   "Manaslu is known as a killer mountain for its steepness and angry weather,' said Dipendra Paudel of the Tourism Ministry.

   "The avalanche occurred because of sudden sunshine after days of cold weather."

   The avalanche occurred as the climbers were preparing to set off for the summit and hit base camps two and three of the mountain.

   "We will only be able to release more information once we resume the rescue operation tomorrow," Paudel said. "We had to stop due to bad weather."

   Nepal is home to some of the world's highest mountains and Manaslu is the eighth highest in the world. Deaths in the climbing season are common on the treacherous peaks due to bad weather and difficult climbing conditions.

   There are two climbing seasons in Nepal, one beginning in April and ending in May and one beginning with the end of the monsoon season in September and continuing until October.
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LEAD: Rescuers recover 9 bodies after Nepal avalanche, four missing 
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   Kathmandu (dpa) – Rescuers recovered the bodies of nine people killed in an avalanche on a mountain in north-western Nepal on Sunday, while four people were still missing, police said.

   A German and a Nepali were among those killed in the avalanche at a height of some 7,000 metres in the Mount Manaslu region, according to police.

   Police said 13 people were resued. Three French climbers, two Germans and a Nepali climber were airlifted to hospitals in Kathmandu.

   Police said the avalanche struck base camps 2 and 3 on Manaslu, the eighth highest mountain in the world.
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Nine killed in Nepal avalanche =

   Kathmandu (dpa) – At least nine people were killed in an avalanche on a mountain in north-western Nepal on Sunday, police said.

   A German tourist and a Nepali were among those killed in the avalanche at a height of some 7,000 metres in the Mount Manaslu region, according to police.

   Four people went missing, while 12 people were rescued.

   The rescue operation involving helicopters was being hampered by poor weather, police said.
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28 die in Nepal bus plunge =

   Kathmandu (dpa) – At least 28 people were killed when a bus veered off a road and fell 300 metres in western Nepal Tuesday, police said.

   Eleven  were injured in the accident in Kalikot district.

   Police said the bus landed on the banks of the Tila River.

   Hundreds die in road accidents in Nepal every year, blamed on bad roads and reckless driving. On Sunday, 13 people were killed in a similar accident in western Nepal.
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13 killed in Nepal bus accident

   Kathmandu (dpa) - At least 13 people were killed when a bus skidded off the road and plunged more than 100 metres into a ravine Sunday in western Nepal, police said.

   At least 20 others were injured in the accident in Gulmi district. Police said the bus driver swerved to make avoid a motorcycle on a sharp bend in the road.

   Police said the death toll could rise as people were still trapped inside the wreckage.
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At least 11 killed in Nepal bus accident =

   Kathmandu (dpa) - At least 11 people were killed when a bus skidded off the road and plunged into a river in Nepal's Dhading district Tuesday, police said.

   Twenty people were injured in the accident that occurred about 45 kilometres north-west of the capital Kathmandu.

   The bus plunged about 200 metres into the Mahesh River.
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Fourteen dead in Nepal jeep accident =

   Kathmandu (dpa) - At least 14 people were killed on Saturday when a jeep veered off a road in western Nepal, police said.

   The group were travelling to the funeral of a relative. The jeep plunged downhill into a river in the Palpa district, 315 kilometres west of Kathmandu.

   Two people survived the accident.
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At least 20 killed in separate accidents in Nepal =

   Kathmandu (dpa)- At least 20 people died in two separate accidents in Nepal on Sunday, police said.

   A minibus veered off the road and fell 200 metres into a river in the western district of Arghakanchi, killing 16 people. Four were injured in the incident.

   Earlier, four people died and 12 were injured when a speeding bus overturned in Jhapa district in eastern Nepal.

   Road accidents caused by reckless driving and bad roads are common in Nepal. On Monday, 15 died when a passenger bus plunged into a river.
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2ND LEAD: 15 killed when plane crashes into Nepal mountain, 6 survive

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   Kathmandu (dpa) - An aircraft crashed Monday into a mountain as it was trying to land at an airport in north-western Nepal, killing 15 people, authorities said. Six survived.

   The crew of the turboprop operated by Agni Air said it was having technical difficulties shortly after taking off from Jomsom Airport in the Mustang district, said Pratap Babu Tiwari, manager of the Civil Aviation Authority in Pokhara, the plane's destination.

   The German-made Donier Do-228 was returning to the Jomson Airport when it crashed into a mountain near the narrow airstrip, he said.

   Sixteen of those on board were Indians en route to the Hindu pilgrimage site of Muktinath in the Mustang district. Jomsom is also a gateway to several trekking routes.

   Thirteen of the Indians were killed. One adult and two girls survived. The other survivors were two Danish nationals and a Nepali flight attendant, police officer Rajendra Singh Bhandari said.

   The survivors were airlifted to Pokhara.

   Two Nepali crew members also died.

   Nepal has a poor air safety record. Government statistics record 71 crashes in the mountainous country's aviation history, which began in 1953. More than 600 people were killed in the accidents.
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Author: Pratibha Tuladhar

15 killed in Nepal air crash

   Kathmandu (dpa) - An aircraft carrying 21 people crashed Monday at an airport in north-western Nepal, killing 15, authorities said.

   Three children, two foreigners and a Nepali flight attendant were among those rescued. Six survivors were being airlifted to Pokhara, according to Pratap Babu Tiwari, manager of the Civil Aviation Authority.

   Twelve Indian nationals were among those killed.

   “Out of 21, 15 have been killed,” police officer Rajendra Singh Bhandari said, who was leading the rescue operation. “There are 11 men and four women among the dead.”

   The authority said the Agni Air plane had returned to the Jomsom Airport shortly after taking off. It crashed into a mountain surrounding the narrow airstrip while attempting to land.

   Bhandari said the survivors had been airlifted to Pokhara. The army, police and local residents were helping with rescue efforts.
Nepal has a poor aviation record. Government statistics record 71 air crashes in Nepal’s aviation history, that killed over 600 people.
dpa

Eleven killed in Nepal as jeep plunges into river

   Kathmandu (dpa) - Eleven people were killed when a jeep veered off a road and plunged into a river in Nepal Sunday, local media said.

   The vehicle plunged 300 metres near Dhital village, about 250 kilometres west of the capital Kathmandu, according to Kantipur Television. Three people were injured in the accident.

   On Saturday, 14 people died in the same district after a flash flood in the Seti River.
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