At least five persons were killed, three in Kathmandu and two in Dharan, in the earthquake that hit eastern Nepal Sunday evening. Three persons were killed when the boundary wall of the British Embassy at Lazimpat collapsed due to the earthquake and hit the persons on the road. The victims have been identified as Sajan Shrestha, 36, Anisha Shrestha, 8, and Bir Bahadur Majhi, 19. They were on the street when the debris of the wall struck them. Meanwhile, two persons were killed in Dharan due to injuries they sustained while running for safety, reports said. The deceased have been identified as Bimal Pariyar and Santosh Pariyar. Meanwhile, TV reports showed at least three injured persons admitted at different hospitals in Kathmandu. They sustained injuries while rushing out of their places after the jolt. Police personnel have been mobilised for rescue in some areas of Taplejung and Sankhusabha districts where damages of properties have been reported. According to the National Seismologic Center (NSC), the epicenter of ...

The Fourth National Tourism Fair kicked off in Bhrikutimandap, Kathmandu, on Friday with an objective of promoting domestic tourism. Several tourism products such as art and culture, tourist destinations, home stay, documentary and cultural exhibition of 62 districts, including others, will be exhibited through 100 stalls at the three-day fair. With the Nepal Tourism Year-2011 aiming to attract 1 million tourists this year, promotion of domestic tourism is expected to help the cause of NTY. Reasling the importance of domestic tourism in uplifting the economy, the government is also planning to approve paid leave to civil servants for visiting different tourism destinations. “Such fairs boost the confidence of tourism entrepreneurs,” said Prachanda Man Shrestha, chief executive officer of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), the organiser of the event. “We are organising such fairs throughout the country,” he said during the inaugural function of the fair. Stakeholders, however, expressed concern over the weak promotion of NTY in the international level. The NTY-2011 secretariat had planned ...

A Japanese woman who was lost in Nepal's mountains for nearly two weeks said Friday that she survived by eating grass, drinking river water, taking shelter in small caves and praying. Makiko Iwafuchi, 49, of Chiba, said she left her hotel May 25 for a short stroll near the Goshainkunda lake. She left the main trail and could not find it again. She said she walked for days but was unable to find the trail or come in contact with any villagers until Tuesday, when she heard voices. "I screamed, saying, 'Hello! Please help me!'" she told reporters after returning to Katmandu on Friday. "It was a miracle. I felt at ease and thanked God." Aside from some visible insect bites, she appeared to be fine three days after her ordeal about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Katmandu, at an elevation of more than 14,000 feet (4,300 meters). Iwafuchi said that when she got lost roughly 1,600 feet (500 meters) from the trail, she ...

NAMCHE, May 30: Nepali athletes once again dominated the Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon 2011 in both men´s and women´s category on Sunday while Sylvia Zaskowiee from Poland created a new record by becoming the first woman to become a winner in the foreign category. The marathon is being held annually at the highest altitude in the world since May 29, 2003. “I find it easy to run in the mountains but I can´t run in the plains,” said Sudip Kulung, the winner of the men´s category who grew up in the laps of the towering peaks of Solukhumbu district. The 23-year-old from Gudel village fought his way through the rocky terrains of the Everest Base Camp all the way to Namche covering a distance of 42.19 km in 3 hours 45 minutes 49 seconds. Ram Kumar Rajbhandari from Khotang finished second with a timing of 3 hours 49 minutes 6 seconds while three-time ...

With the political parties and various ethnic and regional organisations organising bandas frequently, the business community is gearing up for an anti-banda movement forming ‘Alliance Against Bandas’. The Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (Nefin) organised banda on May 13, while Chhetri Samaj Nepal called a two-day banda in the Kathmandu Valley on May 22-23.   The private sector on Sunday established a trust fund worth Rs 1 million which will be used to create awareness against bandas through rallies and mass meetings. On Sunday too, the private sector organised a motorcycle rally defying the banda called by Chettri Samaj. Earlier, tourism entrepreneurs had also confronted Nefin’s banda. The trust fund has been set up jointly by the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), Nepal Chamber of Commerce, Nepal Tourism Board and Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA). According to business community, the rationale behind setting up the ...

His dream was of imposing height — to scale the highest mountain in the world and set a new world record by becoming the oldest man on the top of Mt Everest. But fate had something else in store for him. Shailendra Kumar Upadhyay (82), a former minister, died today on the way to Camp 1, at the height of 6,400 metres. Expedition leader Mr Da Dendi Sherpa said Upadhyay died while going to camp 1 from Everest Base Camp. Nepal Mountaineering Association president Zimba Zangbu Sherpa too confirmed the incident and said, “He suffered altitude sickness that led to his death.” According to Pandey, rescue team could not be sent to the area due to heavy snowfall since early morning. “We have received information that Upadhyay died due to shortage of oxygen and high blood pressure. His body will be brought to the Base Camp on Tuesday morning and then will be sent to the Capital,” said Pandey. It ...

Increasing demands of Incoming tourists and outgoing students and business persons China Southern Airline, a Sky Team member airline, has doubled its flights from Kathmandu. The airline has added three more flights per week, form Sunday. As previously there used to be only 3 flights per week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. “Now, the airline will fly every day except on Tuesdays,” said Binod Bogati, station manager of the Airlines in an interview with Xinhua on Monday. “The airline has a wide range of domestic network and also International network in the countries like South Korea, Japan, Australia and various European nations. Our transit is very limited and also the price is cheaper than the other airline that is why the demand has increased," he added. He affirmed that there is increasing number of the tourists who are visiting and who are willing to visit Nepal. In addition, he added that Nepali businessmen are frequently travelling to China for their business and ...

The Nepal Tourism Year (NTY)-2011 is being officially marked with fanfare across the country on Friday. Nepal has charted out a plan to bring in a million tourists during the tourism year. President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav will formally launch the Nepal Tourism Year-2011 at Dashrath Stadium amid a gala event on Friday. On the occasion, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Sharat Singh Bhandari including dignitaries and members of general public will attend the function. Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, Nepal Army and school students will exhibit various performances in the five-and-a-half-hour inauguration programme. The government has decided to give a public holiday today to all the educational institutions across the country on the official launch of the tourism year. As a part of the tourism promotional plans the Nepal government has declared 2011 as year of tourism to achieve the aim it has chalked out plans to welcome ...

A new trekking route has been brought into operation along Annapurna circuit trekking area in view of Nepal Tourism Year 2011. Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), local bodies and tourism entrepreneurs have brought the trekking route from Chhyo Deurali to Muktinath into use after tourism environment in other trekking routes in Myagdi, Parbat and Mustang districts were disturbed by construction of rural roads. The new trekking route reaches Muktinath from Chhyo Deurali through Taklung, Titital, Kokhepani, Chheira, Marphapari, Dhumbatal, Jomsom, Luprakhola. Similarly, another trekking route from Tatopani to Ghansa in Myagdi district has also been brought into operation. Places of religious and historical importance, Himalayan ranges, lakes, wildlife, birds, forests and human settlements are the attraction of the new trekking route.

Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) has decided to take the torch of Nepal Tourism Year (NTY) 2011 campaign to the summit of Mt Ama Dablam. NMA secretariat, NMA President Zimba Zangbu Sherpa, at a press meet said the 10-member Nepal Tourism Year 2011 Torch Expedition to Ama Dablam will take the torch to the summit of the 6812m peak on January 14, coinciding with the formal launch of the campaign. Nepal Tourism Year 2011 is being held on January 14 and on the date the torch ceremony will be broadcast live at Dashrath Stadium where the government has waived permit fee for the mountaineers and Travel trade associations like Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal and Himalayan Rescue Association are also supporting the expedition. Meanwhile, Secretary General of UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Taleb Rifai is among the international dignitaries that have confirmed their participation for the inauguration of Nepal Tourism Year 2011 campaign to be held at Dashrath Stadium on Jan 14. According to Nepal ...