Massive Fire Breaks out in Thamel - finally brought under control

Firefighters have been trying to control a blaze that broke out in Thamel in the Capital on Thursday night.

Fire in Thamel

The fire which started at around 9:30 pm spread to five houses built in cluster in the alley opposite the Kathmandu Guest House in Thamel .

Meanwhile, Capital centered fire brigades, over 200 security personnel, locals, have been trying to douse the leaping flames in the narrow streets of Thamel till this morning.

It is learnt that the fire started from a house located behind Shisha Terrace Café and Bar, and later spread to adjoining houses and Shisha as well. However, no human casualties have been reported so far.

Thamel Fire Zone

Thamel is a popular tourist destination in Kathmandu. It has been the centre of the tourist industry for over four decades.

The fire is brought under control after using fire brigades form Lalitpur, Bhaktapur and Kathmndu districts and more than two dozens of private water tanks to douse the fire.

It has been estimated that the fire has destroyed property worth millions. The fire has destroyed the Thamel-based Pilgrim Books House and the books stored at the shop along with the three houses of Sher Bahadur Shahi and Ajaya Shahi.

According to Hemanta Pal, spokesperson at Metropolitan Police Commissioner´s Office, the fire had started from Faces Club last night.

Police said that they are yet to know the exact reason behind the fire.

However, they suspected that the fire might have broke out due to explosion of cooking gas cylinder.

View the Photos of Fire and Rescue here
https://plus.google.com/photos/108371418961487789629/albums/5878831023793570033?authkey=COXe-bOy6-PnZA

Source : Ekantipur and Republica
Video by: Avenues TV

Nepal Airlines airplane crash landed in Jomsom

KATHMANDU, MAY 16 -

An aircraft belonging to Nepal Airlines has crashed while attempting to land at Jomsom Airport in Mustang on Thursday morning. Twenty-one passengers, including three crew members and eight Japanese nationals, were on the board.

NAC Aircraft Crashed into Pieces Photo by Sunil Rawal

The Pokhara-Jomsom flight (NA-9NABO) skidded off the runway and crashed into the banks of Kaligandaki River, sources confirmed. Captain D Pradhan was flying the aircraft.

The crash was likely caused by a sudden gust of wind that caught the plane while it attempted to touch down.

Five passengers have sustained critical injuries including the pilot, Local Development Officer Dilli Ram Sigdel informed. However, no human casualties have been reported so far.

They have been ferried for treatment in a local hospital. Meanwhile, preparations have been made to airlift the injured in Tara Air's aircraft.

Watch the Video here :

Source: Kantipur News Network 

Russian Climber Found Dead in Everest

KATHMANDU — A 50-year-old Russian climber died Wednesday attempting to scale Mount Everest in this season's fourth death on the world's highest peak, a government official said.

Alex Bolotov was found dead on Wednesday morning at Khumbu Icefall at 5,600 metres (18,372 feet), the official told AFP by telephone from Everest base camp.

Alex Bolotov

"He seems to have left his tent at around three in the morning. When his Sherpa went looking for him, his dead body was found in the Khumbu Icefall" at the head of the Khumbu Glacier, government official Gyanendra Shrestha said.

Shrestha said the Russian, who has climbed several major peaks including K2, Makalu, Manaslu and Annapurna, was part of the Everest South-West Face Expedition and was trying to repeat his 2002 summit of Everest.

Three other climbers have died on the world's highest peak this season.

Last month Mingmar Sherpa, 47, a member of an elite team known as the "icefall doctors" who set up climbing routes, plunged to his death. DaRita Sherpa, 47, died from what is believed to have been cardiac arrest earlier this month.

Lobsang Sherpa, 22, a member of a team guiding a commercial expedition, died a week ago.

Some 300 people have perished trying to reach the 8,848-meter (29,029-foot) summit during the last six decades. The bodies of some of them are still there.

May is considered the optimum time for climbing in the Nepalese Himalayas and some 28 people have reached the top so far this year.

But a brawl that erupted last month between three European climbers and Nepalese guides cast a shadow over this year's season, which marks the 60th anniversary of the maiden ascent by Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary. — AFP