10 killed, 39 injured in Dang bus mishap

By K. P. Ghimire & Yagya Bikram Shahi

GHORAHI (Dang), Oct 7 - At least 10 people died while 39 others, 27 of them seriously, injured when a passenger bus en route to Nepalgunj from Tulsipur fell about 200 metres off the Lamahi-Tulsipur highway near Musot river today, police said. There were 48 people travelling in the ill-fated bus.

The site of the accident is about 15 km away from here, the district headquarters. Police have identified only four bodies so far.

Police Inspector Padam Adhikari in Lamahi said that four people died on the spot and six others succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment at Mahendra Hospital in Ghorahi and at a health centre in Lamahi.

Deputy Superintendent of Police in Tulsipur, Ram Bahadur Basnet, said two policemen who were travelling in the bus also sustained serious injuries in the accident.

Those killed in the accident have so far been identified as Raju Basnet and Satya Narayan Chaudhary, both from Chaulahi VDC and Alok Ghimire of Ghorahi. Another passenger named Kothari Chaudhary died on the way to Tansen Mission Hospital in Palpa.

R. D. Shah, a health assistant at Lamahi health centre, said two others who died at the centre were yet to be identified. Shah said all the five died while undergoing treatment.

Two passengers died at Mahendra Hospital while undergoing treatment and six seriously injured people were rushed to Tansen. Similarly, 25 others were admitted in Nepalgunj and three in Butwal hospitals. Police said that the bus (Ra 1 Kha 246) was completely damaged.

DSP Basnet said the whereabouts of the bus driver, Deepak Rijal, was still unknown. Police could not immediately establish the cause of the accident and an investigation has been ordered.

Around 400 Armed Police personnel involved in combat training course near the accident site carried rescue operation within 20 minutes. Survivors said the bus was high speed and the driver could not control the bus.

Quadruplet passes away, others still in danger

By Amrit Bhadgaunle

POKHARA, Oct 7 – The youngest of the quadruplets passed away on Sunday with the remaining three also having slim chances of survival. The mother, however, is recovering, according to the doctors at the Manipal Teaching Hospital.

The youngest baby of Rupa Thapa Shrestha, died at 5.30 a.m. on Sunday while still in the incubator at the ICU of the hospital.

The doctors found complications at 4.30 a.m. and tried to revive the infant but it could not be saved, Dr Uma Ramchandran told The Kathmandu Post. The reasons for the death are, the doctor said, the baby being underweight, improper development of its body and complications in the baby’s breathing system.

In the hospital there is no ventilator which is necessary for the babies who are less than six kilogram of weight. When asked if the lack of the ventilator was the cause, Dr Ramchandran said the baby suffered from bleeding in the head besides having the breathing problem.

According to the doctors at the hospital, the baby that passed away was of the least weight at birth – 1.4 kg – and was suffering from infection.

The last rights of the baby were performed at the banks of the Seti river here in the afternoon.

The hospital doctors also said that the condition of the eldest of the quadruplets was still critical and the remaining two are also not out of danger. Dr Ramchandran revealed that special medicine was brought from Kathmandu for the babies.

The babies are being given anti-biotic and mother’s milk.

According to the doctors, during the 14-hour difference between the first and the remaining three babies, the mother developed infection which has affected the babies.

The first of the quadruplets was born on last Sunday and the other three a day later. Meanwhile, the aid for the treatment of the babies is pouring in with the donations now crossing Rs 200,000.

Gurkhas set for yet another war

By Kosmos Biswokarma

KATHMANDU, Oct 7 – When hundreds of British Gurkha soldiers had gone to the desert nation of Oman more than a month ago for regular exercises, they never had the slightest of idea on turning their "exercise" into a full-fledged war.

But after the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington and subsequently in the context of the "New War" against terrorism, these British troops deployed in Oman would probably have to continue their "exercise" for a longer period, that too in a real war situation.

Nepali Gurkhas have always been deployed on the frontline whenever there is an involvement of the British army. They were among the first troops to be deployed in Kosovo and they were the ones who cleared the way for aid to East Timor. And the analysts believe that the Gurkha troops currently undergoing exercises in Oman would be the first ones to be deployed in case the US and its allies begin their operation.

But the British Army officials in Oman refuse to divulge into this. "The undergoing exercise in Oman has nothing to do with the recent development," one of the Gurkha soldiers informed The Kathmandu Post today via email. "We came here more than a month ago for regular exercise, which was planned since three years," he said, requesting anonymity. "I think we will be back from Oman by November 15," hopes this Gurkha soldier.

Britain’s Defense Attaché in Oman, Brigadier Mike Smith, too says that this remains just an exercise. "There is absolutely no connection between this exercise and any operations our American allies might be preparing," a BBC reporter quoted Smith as saying in his report from Oman recently.

But the same story quoted British Defence Secretary, Geoff Hoon, as saying "some of them could be used in joint military action with the Americans if required." Hoon’s comment has come at a time, when the US and its allies are busy deploying their troops in the Middle East and Central Asia, for possible strike against Afghanistan.

And the Defense Attaché in Oman too is unsure about the future of these troops there. "In military planning terms, almost anything is possible, but it would be very difficult and quite wrong for me to conjecture anything at the moment," the official said. Britain has assembled its biggest military force in the Middle East since the Gulf War over 10 years ago, reports BBC. About 20,000 British soldiers, sailors and airmen have been deployed in the Gulf State of Oman.

The Nepali Gurkhas whose main motto is "Better to die than be a coward," have fought for the UK all over the world since they joined the British Army in 1815. And in the past 50 years, they have served in Hong Kong, Malaya- now known as Malaysia - Borneo, Cyprus and the Falklands. More recently, they served as peacekeepers in Kosovo, East Timor and Sierra Leone.

After being stationed in Malaya and Hong Kong for many years, the Gurkhas are now based at Church Crookham in Hampshire and Shorncliffe in Folkestone, Kent. There are about 3500 Nepalese Gurkhas in the British Army at present.

Quadruplet passes away, others still in danger

By Amrit Bhadgaunle

POKHARA, Oct 7 – The youngest of the quadruplets passed away on Sunday with the remaining three also having slim chances of survival. The mother, however, is recovering, according to the doctors at the Manipal Teaching Hospital.

The youngest baby of Rupa Thapa Shrestha, died at 5.30 a.m. on Sunday while still in the incubator at the ICU of the hospital.

The doctors found complications at 4.30 a.m. and tried to revive the infant but it could not be saved, Dr Uma Ramchandran told The Kathmandu Post. The reasons for the death are, the doctor said, the baby being underweight, improper development of its body and complications in the baby’s breathing system.

In the hospital there is no ventilator which is necessary for the babies who are less than six kilogram of weight. When asked if the lack of the ventilator was the cause, Dr Ramchandran said the baby suffered from bleeding in the head besides having the breathing problem.

According to the doctors at the hospital, the baby that passed away was of the least weight at birth – 1.4 kg – and was suffering from infection.

The last rights of the baby were performed at the banks of the Seti river here in the afternoon.

The hospital doctors also said that the condition of the eldest of the quadruplets was still critical and the remaining two are also not out of danger. Dr Ramchandran revealed that special medicine was brought from Kathmandu for the babies.

The babies are being given anti-biotic and mother’s milk.

According to the doctors, during the 14-hour difference between the first and the remaining three babies, the mother developed infection which has affected the babies.

The first of the quadruplets was born on last Sunday and the other three a day later. Meanwhile, the aid for the treatment of the babies is pouring in with the donations now crossing Rs 200,000.

Film festival ends, but documentary revolution begins

By Tashi Dolma Thinley

KATHMANDU, Oct 7 – When the festival began, the organisers sought a documentary revolution and today at the end of the four-day festival it definitely proved that the revolution has begun.

Film-South Asia ’01 (FSA) screened 50 films in four days and had approximately 6000 viewers rushing for tickets to the variety of films that ranged from political to social issues.

The halls remained house-full during the screening of almost all the films. Tickets for the films like We Homes Chaps, The Killing Terraces and A Rough Cut on the Life and Times of Lachuman Magar were sold out few days prior to the screening.

For many, it was one event that gave a peace of mind, a festive mood and a lot of surprises for few days. Shanta Bhatt, a movie buff, says, "This is my first experience of watching documentary films and I liked them so much, I watched around 13 films and I wish I could watch more."

The event, which kicked off on October 4, concluded today with a bang and a lot of zest. My Migrant Soul (Directed by Yasmine Kabir of Bangladesh) a sad story of a Bangladeshi, who migrates to Malaysia in search of a better livelihood but ends up in disillusionment and mere slavery, won the Ram Bahadur Trophy and a cash prize of US $2000. The second and the third prizes went to A Rough Cut on the Life and Times of Lachuman Magar (Directed by Dinesh Deokota of Nepal) and Jari Mari: Of Cloth and Other Stories (Directed by Sarabhi Sharma of India) respectively. And the prestigious critics’ award went to King of Dreams, a film about a man’s sexual fantasy directed by Amar Kanwar of India.

The festival has ended but the people still have a hangover. People still have not fulfilled their thirst for more films as the majority of the documentaries were of high quality.

Manesh Shrestha, director of FSA ’01, is really happy that this time loads of Nepalese crowd has come forward. Says Shrestha, "Due to the high quality of the films and very high demand of the viewers, the directors and we have decided to screen some of them again, tomorrow."

And it is just not the viewers who have gained from the festival. This festival has proved to be fruitful and lucrative to many of the directors to gain a front too.

While the South Asian countries are producing more and more documentaries, the FSA has been the platform for creative new directors to enter the field since 1997.

Kesang Tseten, director of "We Homes Chaps," is overwhelmed by the response of the viewers he got for his film. "If you feel something deeply, it does reach out and touch the other people as well," says Tseten.

Today, making of such documentaries and the audiences’ feedback has been equally competent and it has sure come a long way.

Himal Association had been organising such kind of film festival since 1997 and today the organisers swear by the success of the festival. Nepalese filmmaker Neer Shah, popular Indian director Shyam Benegal and Firdouz Azim of Bangladesh, the three juries, had a tough time judging the films. According to them, all the films have won their heart and soul. They are especially encouraged by the way the viewers accepted the festival.

When in 1997, there were mostly foreigners who came for such events, this time 70 percent of the viewers were Nepalese. Adding to that, many were excited and appreciative, especially for the films made by Nepalese directors.

According to Kanak Mani Dixit, chairman of FSA ’01, people are actually amazed by the kind of films the Nepalese directors have made and this shows and confirms that the documentary revolution in Nepal has just begun.

Thousands stranded in Biratnagar

Post Report

BIRATNAGAR, Oct 7 – Thousands of people from the remote eastern districts are stranded in the frontier city of Biratnagar as Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation could not provide its services due to heavy and unexpected rainfall in the hilly regions.

According to our reporter from Biratnagar, people from the remote districts of Khotang, Bhojpur, Sankhuwasava, Solukhumbu, Taplejung and Okhaldhunga are thronging to the airport in anticipation of regular flights which had been cancelled for the last week.

RNAC manager in Biratnagar R.B. Thapa said that the flights were cancelled as the runways in the eastern hill districts were inundated by the heavy post-monsoon rains. He, however, hoped that the RNAC flights could be resumed once the weather condition was improved.

"We could not provide regular flight services to most of the destinations as two of the seven twin-otter aircraft are in operation," said Thapa. However, passengers blame the RNAC officials for faulty ticketing system. They also charge the officials of appointing middlemen for black marketing of tickets.

Meanwhile, our reporter from Siraha said two children drowned to death in two separate places on Sunday. According to the District Police Office, a three-year-old Jitendra Rama Sada from Sanhaitha VDC-4 of Siraha, drowned in a pond at 10:30 in the morning. The water level of the pond had increased due to the torrential rainfall in the district. In another incident in Lahan, a one-and-a-half-years old boy was recovered dead into a deep ditch that was filled up due to the heavy rains. According to the local police, the parents of the deceased child had come to Lahan from India for the treatment of his eye in a local eye hospital.

Meanwhile, the residents of Tehrathum are facing shortage of consumer items in the face of Dashain due to the blockade of roads triggered incessant rains for the last week. Locals said that prices of commodities soared all of a sudden as a result of the post-monsoon cloudbursts in the eastern region.

The Hile-Basantapur section of the Koshi highway has been blocked since the onset of this year’s monsoon. Last year, section of the highway had been cleared for traffic movement during Dashain festival as the monsoon had already gone from Nepal’s sky. But this year, monsoon lasted a few weeks more compared to that of the previous years.

Meanwhile, RSS adds from Janakpur that there has been widespread loss of property in seven VDCs of Dhanusha district including the collapse of l82 houses due to torrential rain for the past one week.

As a result of the rain, property worth Rs 150,000 along with rice, pulses and wheat worth Rs 13,000 was damaged when the house of Dev Narayan Mandal of Jhatayahi VDC collapsed.

Meanwhile, repair works on the Janakpur-Jayanagar Railway track damaged by the rain is in full swing, it is learnt from railway sources.