One killed in Jhapa wild elephant attack

A man died after being attacked by a wild elephant in Shivasatakshi Municipality, Jhapa on Thursday.

The District Police Office, Jhapa said that 45-year-old Megh Raj Rai of Dhudhe in the municipality died on the spot after he was attacked by the wild elephant last night.

The incident occurred while they were chasing the tusker who destroyed the houses in the settlement.

With this, four people lost their lives in wild elephant attacks in the past five months in Jhapa district.

According to spokesperson of District Police Office Jhapa, Khagendra Rijal, property worth around Rs 150,000 was destroyed in the incident.

 

Local levels pledge to end child marriage in Gulmi

The people's representatives from all the local levels in Gulmi district have committed to working to end child marriage in the district. 

The representatives of the local governments made such a commitment during an interaction program organized here on "10-year strategy of Lumbini Province, its challenges in implementation and potentials, and role of local level'.

On the occasion, the speakers said that stakeholders and the society should work collectively to discourage the child marriage as it is happening in the society without public notice due to social traditions and other reasons.

The interaction was organized to collect recommendations for the drafting of the strategy to end child marriage.

However, the speakers also complained of limited budget allocation to carry out interventions against such mal-practices at the local levels.

On the occasion, Chief of District Coordination Committee Drona Bahadur Khatri stressed for running awareness raising programmes from the ward level and at schools too to end child marriage.

Likewise, Vice Chairperson of Satyawati Rural Municipality Nirmaya Taramu said that such issues including child marriage have been shadowed as public attention has shifted to construction of physical works.

The Social Development Ministry of Lumbini Province is working for such events with support from UNICEF.

Two nabbed with 200 kg pangolin scales

Police have arrested two persons with pangolin, an endangered animal, scales from the Makalu Barun National Park area in Sankhuwasabha district.

Tshiring Bhote (35) of Ridak village from Bhotkhola Rural Municipality-2 in the district and a woman, who identity is yet to be ascertained, were nabbed with 200 kilograms of pangolin scales and other residual parts, the District Police Office Sankhuwasabha said.

The arrestees would be brought to the district headquarters at Khandbari and their status would be made public by organizing a press conference, according to the police.

As per the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (NPWC) Act, anyone involved in the trade of protected species may be slapped with a fine up to Rs 100,000 and a jail term of five to 15 years.

 Pangolin is included in Appendix II of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and falls under protected list in Nepal´s National Park and Wildlife Conservation Act.

 

Human error behind Yeti Airlines plane crash: Report

The Yeti Airlines plane crash that occurred in Pokhara on January 15, 2023 was due to human error.

The Investigation Commission formed after the crash submitted the report today with this conclusion. The Commission formed under coordination of former Secretary Nagendra Prasad Ghimire submitted the report to Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Sudan Kiranti. It took eight months and three days for the Commission to carry out the investigation and prepare the report.

The government had formed a five-member probe commission on the day of the plane crash.  

Retired captain of the Nepali Army, Deepak Prakash Bastola, retired Captain Sunil Thapa, aeronautical engineer Ekraj Jung Thapa and Joint-Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Buddhi Sagar Lamichhane were the members of the probe commission.

Receiving the report, Minister Kiranti directed the subordinate bodies to strictly implement the probe commission's suggestions.