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The Karuna Foundation Nepal, an organization working for the welfare of persons with disabilities, is going to distribute artificial hands to 428 people across the country.

The Foundation, in a statement it issued today, said that the distribution of free artificial hands will be started from Koshi Province in the first phase under the support campaign conducted in collaboration with the German Hands Project. 

Foundation's Associate Director Dinesh Dhakal said that the program will be held in Itahari, Koshi Province from November 3 to 12 and 204 people will be provided with artificial hands free of charge.

Recently, a notice was published calling for applications from people who were in need of artificial hands and it was reported that 428 people nationwide were registered. It is stated that beneficiaries from Koshi Province were prioritised in the first phase.

The Foundation has reported that among such beneficiaries, 10 are from Bhojpur, three from Ilam, 61 from Jhapa, 25 from Khotang, 14 from Morang, 19 from Okhaldhunga, 22 from Panchthar, eight from Solukhumbu, eight from Sunsari, two from Tehrathum, and 25 from Udaypur.

It is believed that this campaign will help individuals who have lost limbs regain self-confidence and return to an independent life.

According to the Foundation, the number of people losing their hands each year due to accidents, electric shocks, infections or other reasons is increasing in Nepal, and currently more than 50,000 people across the country are using various types of prosthetic limbs.

Security forces have rescued 72 tourists, including 17 foreigners, who were stranded due to heavy snowfall at the Annapurna Base Camp in Myagdi.

Security personnel were mobilized from Myagdi to assist in the rescue of tourists facing difficulties after the snow covered Hidden Valley along the Dhaulagiri Circuit Trek, which connects Myagdi to Mustang.

As of Thursday morning, all 72 tourists, including foreigners, were rescued with the help of the Armed Police Force, civil police, and local residents. 

The trekking route has remained blanketed by snow since Monday night. 

APF Deputy Superintendent of Police Leela Bahadur Bhujel confirmed that the rescued tourists have been brought down safely to Humkhola.

Twenty tourists, who had lost their way, were rescued with the help of cables. 

Snow along the Maurice Herzog route was cleared to facilitate their descent.

The base camp, situated at an altitude of 4,190 meters above sea level, was affected by rain, snowfall, and bad weather, forcing tourists to halt their journey. 

Visitors staying in hotels at Humkhola, Phutphute, Sadhikharka, Gufaphant, Bhusket Mela, and Panchakunda were safely evacuated with the assistance of security forces.

The weather in these areas remained largely clear throughout Wednesday following the snowfall, but snowfall resumed on Thursday morning.

Trekking to Annapurna Base Camp prohibited till tomorrow 

Chief District Officer of Myagdi, Badri Prasad Tiwari, said that trekking  to the Annapurna Base Camp has been prohibited from Monday to Friday (Oct 31) after an assessment of potential risks due to snowfall and rain.

The District Administration Office and the Annapurna Rural Municipality have issued a public notice appealing people not to visit areas such as Khopra Lek, Ghodepani, Pun Hill, and Moharedada and to adopt precaution.

Meanwhile, a security team has been deployed to rescue three British female tourists and 12 Nepali guides and porters who encountered problems in the 'Hidden Valley' at an altitude of 5,100 metres above sea level while travelling via the base camp of Dhaulagiri in Dhawalagiri-4, Myagdi, to Marpha in Gharapjhong Rural Municipality-2, Mustang.

The team comprising the trained personnel of the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police, which set off from Jomsom on Wednesday for the rescue, reached Alubari in Marpha at an altitude of 3,700 metres above sea level on Thursday morning, said Bishnu Prasad Bhushal, Chief District Officer of Mustang.

“We have received information that the group of tourists has reached Dhampul Lek (mountain pass) from Hidden Valley. 

The security team is making their way towards the Lek. 

Flights have been affected across the country today due to the adverse weather.

Both domestic and international flights from Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) have been affected due to the adverse 'in-route weather'.

TIA Spokesperson Rinjee Sherpa said that due to the bad weather some domestic flights have been diverted today and flights to Bharatpur and Tumlingtar airports have been suspended. Arrival flights to Pokhara Airport are suspended while only departure flights are operating.

Sherpa stated that the Shree Airlines flight from Biratnagar to Kathmandu was diverted to Biratnagar, and the same airline's flight from Bhairahawa to Kathmandu was diverted to Bhairahawa.

According to spokesperson Sherpa, towards the international sector, a Nepal Airlines plane was diverted to New Delhi, India. Similarly, an Indigo Air plane was diverted to New Delhi and an Air India plane to Lucknow.

She stated that the visibility at Tribhuvan International Airport is currently 2,500 meters. The airport office reported that bad 'en route' weather has caused problems for domestic flights.

A person died and four others were injured when a jeep met with an accident at Swakhani in Melauli Municipality-7, Baitadi on Wednesday.

The deceased has been identified as Tulsi Pandey (23) of Melali Municipality-2.

Pandey, who was seriously injured in the incident, breathed his last during the course of treatment at Kesharpur Primary Health Center, said District Police Office Spokesperson Baldev Badu.

The jeep (Se 1 Ja 732) was heading towards Shivnath to Melali in the district. When the incident occurred last night.

The injured are undergoing treatment at Dadeldhura Hospital.