Five killed on Nepal mountain =

Published on May 24, 2013
   Kathmandu (dpa)- Five people were confirmed dead on Kanchenjunga mountain in eastern Nepal, officials confirmed Friday.

   The two Hungarians, one Korean and two Nepalis went missing Monday in bad weather at an altitude of around 7,900 metres, said Dipendra Paudel, an officer at the Mountain Department of the Tourism Ministry.

   At 8,586 metres, Kanchenjunga is the third-highest mountain in the world.
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Nepali climber's Everest record equalled =

Published on May 23,2013
   Kathmandu (dpa) - Phurba Tashi Sherpa reached the summit of Mount Everest summit for the 21st time on Thursday, equalling the record set by Apa Sherpa.

   According to mountaineering officials, Phurba Tashi made two climbs this season to complete the feat.

   Last year, Apa, who goes by his first name, said he was retiring. However, he has since been back at the base camp, continuing his campaign of clearing garbage from the Everest region.
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First Saudi woman climbs Mt Everest =

   Kathmandu (dpa)- A 25–year-old university graduate has become the first woman from Saudi Arabia to climb Mt Everest, authorities in Nepal confirmed on Saturday.

   Raha Moharrak arrived at the world's highest peak at around eight in the morning, said Tilak Pandey, an official at the Nepal Mountaineering Department.

   Saudi Arabia, which is ruled by a conservative Sunni Muslim monarchy, strictly restricts the rights of women.

   Moharrak was part of a group that included the first Qatari man and first Palestinian man to attempt to reach the summit.

   The "Arabs with Attitude" group posted a message on its Twitter account congratulating Moharrak.

   "The first ever Saudi woman to attempt Everest has reached the top!! Bravo Raha Moharrak. We salute you," the message read.

   Moharrak also became the youngest Arab to reach the summit.

   Altogether, 35 foreigners and 29 Nepalis scaled the mountain on Saturday.

   The month of May is a busy time on Mt Everest, as it is the best time of the year to climb.

   More than 3,000 people have climbed Mt Everest since it opened to the world in 1953. Hundreds have lost their lives attempting to climb it.
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2nd LEAD: Nepal flight crashes, no fatalities reported

Eds: Updates numbers of injured, adds quotes =

   Kathmandu (dpa)- An eight-month-old baby survived a plane crash in Nepal on Thursday, along with the mother and the rest of the passengers on board, police confirmed.

   A Nepal Airlines plane crashed into the Kali Gandaki River as it tried to land in the north-western town of Jomsom.

   “Three crew members were seriously hurt because they fell into the river when the plane crashed and had to be pulled out,” said Jomsom police officer Dharmaraj Giri.

   “An eight-month old baby and the mother were safe and we managed to rescue them along with the others in the aircraft.”

   Giri said there were eight Japanese tourists on board the plane, which had 22 people in all. The rest were Nepali citizens.

   The flight from Pokhara, 150 kilometres north-west of Kathmandu, fell into the river next to the airport after it hit a strong gust of wind while landing, according to former airlines officer, Chandra Mohan Gauchan, who helped with rescue efforts.

   The rescued passengers were being flown to Pokhara hospitals by another domestic airline.

   Last May, 15 people were killed when a flight from Pokhara landing at Jomsom airport crashed.

   Jomsom is a popular trekking destination for its dramatic landscape. Muktinath temple in Jomsom is also an important Hindu pilgrimage site and draws many tourists.

   Nepal has a poor flight safety record due to its mountainous terrain and low visibility during the monsoon. Located on steep mountains, most of the airports in the northern region of the country have little more than narrow airstrips.
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LEAD: Nepal flight crashes, injures five

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   Kathmandu (dpa)- At least five people were injured when a Nepal Airlines plane crashed into a river Thursday as it tried to land in the north-western town of Jomsom, local media reported.

   The flight from Pokara, 150 kilometres north-west of Kathmandu, fell into the river next to the airport, according to the government-run Nepal Television.

   There were no fatalities reported among the plane's 19 passengers, including a child, and three crew, but five people on board were in serious condition with injuries, news reports said.

   “The plane skidded off the runway as it was trying to land and then it fell into the Kali Gandaki River,” said Chandra Mohan Gauchan, a former airline officer who helped with the rescue work.

   “Its nose and wing are broken but the full body landed in the river and we were able to pull out everyone alive.”

   Eight of the passengers were Japanese tourists.

   The rescued passengers were being flown to Pokhara hospitals by another domestic airline.

   “The swift rescue was possible because Jomsom airport is right next to the army barracks, and the locals helped with the rescue work," Gauchan said.

   Nepal has a poor flight safety record due to its mountainous terrain and low visibility during the monsoon.
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Nepal Police busts alleged kidney trafficking racket =

   Kathmandu (dpa) - Ten members of a gang accused of kidney trafficking have been arrested in Nepal, police said Tuesday.

   Kidney trafficking has been a problem in some villages in Nepal, where criminals force poor villages to sell a kidney with the promise of a hefty sum, which never gets paid in full.

   At least 300 people have been identified as having sold a kidney. Racketeers are believed to have lured the poor to hospitals in India, where their kidneys was then sold. In some cases, the victims said they were led to Indian hospitals under different pretexts and would find out about a missing kidney only after it had been removed.

   The arrests are the first of its kind since the crime started spreading in Nepal villages two decades ago.

   “We had been working on it for a long time and had assigned officers to work closely with the victims so that we could nab the gang members,” said Kamal Gharti, one of the police officers in charge of the case.

   The arrests were made over the period of one month.

   Nepal shares a porous border with India. While organ donations can only be made by a relative in Nepal, the law is more relaxed in India.
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Women demolish sheds where they are confined during menstruation =

   Kathmandu (dpa) - Women in Nepal's far-western region have started destroying cow sheds where they are confined during menstruation, local media reported Sunday.
   The tradition known as "chaupadi" requires women to be confined during their monthly periods, as they are barred from going inside  houses or temples.
   "We have already pulled down more than three dozen chaupadi sheds," Deepa Karmi was quoted by the Republica newspaper as saying.
   Several women have lost their lives due to snakebites, cold or heavy bleeding during the time of isolation, while some have also been raped.
   The age-old practice is said to derive from a Hindu belief that regards menstruating women as impure.
   Official figures say two dozen women are reported dead each year while observing the tradition.
   Local women involved in the protest have also been going door-to-door to urge others to give up the practice.
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