Submit your Article

Parbat: A team from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, Department of Mines and Geology, has recommended the prompt relocation of six houses at Kuwapani of Jaljala Rural Municipality-5 in Parbat. 

The team visited the area on Sept 7 and assessed it as highly vulnerable to disasters and thus not suitable for human habitation, according to Parbat’s Chief District Officer, Prem Acharya. 

A significant landslide at Kuwapani had turned around 85 ropani of arable land into an arid land. Jaljala rural municipality vice chair Deepak Acharya said the landslide due to monsoon rains since late June has posed a grave threat to particularly six houses. The affected families sought refuge in a local community building and relatives' houses and with the rains subsided, they got back to their houses.

Achham: The historic Bimkot Durbar (palace), located in Mellekh Rural Municipality in Achham, has been handed over to the local government. Janak Bahadur Shah, the former ruler of Bimkot, transferred ownership of the palace to the local government during a ceremony held on Wednesday.

The palace covers an area of 6.5 ropani (one ropani is equivalent to 5,476 square feet), and Rural Municipality Chair Jwalasingh Saud assumed ownership.

This transfer of ownership signifies that the responsibility for preserving and promoting this historical heritage now rests with the local government. The palace is situated within a jungle area, with no human settlement in close proximity. The temple of Shodshadevi is positioned above the temple, surrounded by the Bimkotigadh and Chote River on two sides. 

This temple, established in the 16th century, received official recognition in 1997 BS. A stone inscription in Farsi language was discovered in the temple and has been placed on the Shodasadevi Temple premises.

According to Shah, the old Bimkot Palace was flattened by the major earthquake of 1990 BS. His grandfather, Nagendra Bahadur Shah, constructed the existing structures, a project that took 13 years to complete. 

The descendants of the rulers of Bimkot resided in the palace until the onset of the armed conflict. Historical documents and other valuable items associated with the palace were destroyed during the conflict. As a result, the palace is in urgent need of renovation.

Lekhanath: The reconstruction of the renowned Talbarahi Temple in Baidam, Pokhara Metropolitan-6, Kaski, has commenced. Metropolis Mayor Dhanaraj Acharya performed a puja to mark the beginning of the temple’s reconstruction during a ceremony today. The temple is located in the middle of the famous Fewa Lake in Pokhara.

During the event, local representatives emphasized that the responsibility for preserving and reconstructing the Talbarahi Temple lies with the people of Pokhara and the three levels of government.

As announced, the temple will be restored to its original form. The temple sustained damage in the 2015 earthquake, which caused it to tilt three inches southward.

The reconstruction project will be carried out in coordination with the Talabarahi Temple Guthi Management Committee and the Department of Archaeology. According to Committee Chair Hikmat Bahadur Kunwar, the estimated cost of the reconstruction project is Rs 14.5m. Of this amount, Rs 2.5m has been provided by the Department of Archaeology, with additional support expected from federal, provincial, and local governments, as well as the local community to complete the project.

With the demolition of the temple, a silver idol of goddess Barahi has been placed nearby through established rituals so that devotees can pay homage to the deity from there until the new structures are ready.

It is said that the main temple will be rebuilt within a year. The most recent temple structures were constructed in 2017 BS.

The temple’s existence dates back to 1667 AD, with some records even suggesting it might have been established as early as 1447 AD. The temple, initially founded by the then King of Kaski, Kulmandan Shah, holds significant historical importance.

Lewiston: A man shot and killed at least 16 people at a restaurant and a bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday and then fled into the night, sparking a massive search by hundreds of officers while frightened residents stayed locked in their homes.

A police bulletin identified Robert Card, 40, as a person of interest in the attack that sent panicked bowlers scrambling behind pins when shots rang out around 7 pm. Card was described as a firearms instructor believed to be in the Army Reserve and assigned to a training facility in Saco, Maine.

The document, circulated to law enforcement officials, said Card had been committed to a mental health facility for two weeks in the summer of 2023. It did not provide details about his treatment or condition but said Card had reported “hearing voices and threats to shoot up” the military base. A telephone number listed for Card in public records was not in service.

Lewiston Police said in an earlier Facebook post that they were dealing with an active shooter incident at Schemengees Bar and Grille and at Sparetime Recreation, a bowling alley about 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) away.

One bowler, who identified himself only as Brandon, said he heard about 10 shots, thinking the first was a balloon popping.

“I had my back turned to the door. And as soon as I turned and saw it was not a balloon—he was holding a weapon—I just booked it,” he told The Associated Press.

Brandon said he scrambled down the length of the alley, sliding into the pin area and climbing up to hide in the machinery. He was among a busload of survivors who were driven to a middle school in the neighboring city of Auburn to be reunited with family and friends.

“I was putting on my bowling shoes when when it started. I’ve been barefoot for five hours,” he said.

Melinda Small, the owner of Legends Sports Bar and Grill, said her staff immediately locked their doors and moved all 25 customers and employees away from the doors after a customer reported hearing about the shooting at the bowling alley less than a quarter-mile away. Soon, the police flooded the roadway and a police officer eventually escorted everyone out of the building.

“I am honestly in a state of shock. I am blessed that my team responded quickly and everyone is safe,” Small said. “But the same time, my heart is broken for this area and for what everyone is dealing with. I just feel numb.”

After the shooting, police, many armed with rifles, took up positions while the city descended into eerie quiet—punctuated by occasional sirens—as people hunkered down at home.

The Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office released two photos of the suspect on its Facebook page that showed the shooter walking into an establishment with a weapon raised to his shoulder.

Two law enforcement officials told that at least 16 people were killed and the toll was expected to rise. However, Michael Sauschuck, commissioner of the Maine Department of Public Safety, declined to provide a specific estimate at a news conference, calling it a “fluid situation.”

The two law enforcement officials said dozens of people also had been wounded. The officials were not authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

On its website, Central Maine Medical Center said staff were “reacting to a mass casualty, mass shooter event” and were coordinating with area hospitals to take in patients. The hospital was locked down and police, some armed with rifles, stood by the entrances.

Meanwhile, hospitals as far away as Portland, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) to the south, were on alert to potentially receive victims.

An order for residents and business owners to stay inside and off the streets of the city of 37,000 was extended Wednesday night from Lewiston to Lisbon, about 8 miles (13 kilometers) away, after a “vehicle of interest” was found there, authorities said.

Gov Janet Mills released a statement echoing instructions for people to shelter. She said she had been briefed on the situation and will remain in close contact with public safety officials.

President Joe Biden spoke by phone to Mills and the state's Senate and House members, offering “full federal support in the wake of this horrific attack,” a White House statement said.

Maine Sen Angus King, an independent, said he was “deeply sad for the city of Lewiston and all those worried about their family, friends and neighbors” and was monitoring the situation. King’s office said the senator would be headed directly home to Maine on the first flight possible.

Local schools will be closed Thursday and people should shelter in place or seek safety, Superintendent Jake Langlais said, adding: “Stay close to your loved ones. Embrace them."

Wednesday's death toll was staggering for a state that in 2022 had 29 homicides the entire year.

Maine doesn't require permits to carry guns, and the state has a longstanding culture of gun ownership that is tied to its traditions of hunting and sport shooting.

Some recent attempts by gun control advocates to tighten the state’s gun laws have failed. Proposals to require background checks for private gun sales and create a 72-hour waiting period for gun purchases failed earlier this year. Proposals that focused on school security and banning bump stocks failed in 2019.

State residents have also voted down some attempts to tighten gun laws in Maine. A proposal to require background checks for gun sales failed in a 2016 public vote.

AP