At least 38 people were killed and dozens more wounded yesterday when a crowded bus detonated a land mine planted by suspected communist rebels in Nepal's south, an army official said.
The bus was traveling on a rural highway near the village of Badarmude when it was ripped apart by the explosion, an army official said on condition of anonymity. Army officials are not allowed to reveal their names in Nepal for security reasons.
Thirty-eight people died and 72 others were wounded, some of them critically, the official said.
A nearby hospital was overwhelmed with patients, with not enough doctors to perform surgery, local reporters said.
Police suspect the land mine was planted by Maoist rebels, who have been fighting since 1996 to abolish Nepal's constitutional monarchy and set up a communist state.
The guerrillas have stepped up violence since Feb. 1, when King Gyanendra took control of the government and imposed a state of emergency that was lifted in April.
Government troops moved in after the blast, searching for rebels and taking control of the area 180km southwest of the capital Kathmandu, according to army headquarters.
Some of the injured were being flown to Kathmandu on army helicopters, while about 18 were transported on ambulances to a nearby district hospital at Bharatpur.
At least three children were in critical condition, local reporters said.
The injured passengers said they had no indication there would be a mine on the rural road.
"There was a small bang and then our bus was thrown in the air. The bus was ripped into pieces and many people were killed," said Khum Bahadur Gurung, 62, who spoke from his hospital bed.
Gurung's legs were battered in the explosion.
Another eyewitness, Surya Gurung, 20, said the bus was crowded with nearly 100 people. When he regained consciousness he was in the hospital.
Seven people sustained mostly minor injuries in an airplane fire in South Korea, authorities said yesterday, with local media suggesting the blaze might have been caused by a portable battery stored in the overhead bin. The Air Busan plane, an Airbus A321, was set to fly to Hong Kong from Gimhae International Airport in southeastern Busan, but caught fire in the rear section on Tuesday night, the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said. A total of 169 passengers and seven flight attendants and staff were evacuated down inflatable slides, it said. Authorities initially reported three injuries, but revised the number
‘BALD-FACED LIE’: The woman is accused of administering non-prescribed drugs to the one-year-old and filmed the toddler’s distress to solicit donations online A social media influencer accused of filming the torture of her baby to gain money allegedly manufactured symptoms causing the toddler to have brain surgery, a magistrate has heard. The 34-year-old Queensland woman is charged with torturing an infant and posting videos of the little girl online to build a social media following and solicit donations. A decision on her bail application in a Brisbane court was yesterday postponed after the magistrate opted to take more time before making a decision in an effort “not to be overwhelmed” by the nature of allegations “so offensive to right-thinking people.” The Sunshine Coast woman —
BORDER SERVICES: With the US-funded International Rescue Committee telling clinics to shut by tomorrow, Burmese refugees face sudden discharge from Thai hospitals Healthcare centers serving tens of thousands of refugees on the Thai-Myanmar border have been ordered shut after US President Donald Trump froze most foreign aid last week, forcing Thai officials to transport the sickest patients to other facilities. The International Rescue Committee (IRC), which funds the clinics with US support, told the facilities to shut by tomorrow, a local official and two camp committee members said. The IRC did not respond to a request for comment. Trump last week paused development assistance from the US Agency for International Development for 90 days to assess compatibility with his “America First” policy. The freeze has thrown
PINEAPPLE DEBATE: While the owners of the pizzeria dislike pineapple on pizza, a survey last year showed that over 50% of Britons either love or like the topping A trendy pizzeria in the English city of Norwich has declared war on pineapples, charging an eye-watering ￡100 (US$124) for a Hawaiian in a bid to put customers off the disputed topping. Lupa Pizza recently added pizza topped with ham and pineapple to its account on a food delivery app, writing in the description: “Yeah, for ￡100 you can have it. Order the champagne too! Go on, you monster!” “[We] vehemently dislike pineapple on pizza,” Lupa co-owner Francis Wolf said. “We feel like it doesn’t suit pizza at all,” he said. The other co-owner, head chef Quin Jianoran, said they kept tinned pineapple
RSS