October 1, 2024: Snapshot of today's main news

Kathmandu, October 1 — In this section, we present the key headlines of the day. If you've been busy and missed the news, we’ve got you covered. Here are the highlights.

PM's presser: 224 lives lost in recent disasters

The floods, landslides, and inundation that occurred on September 27 and 28 have resulted in the deaths of 224 people so far. In a press conference organized by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Chief Secretary Ek Narayan Aryal provided information about the loss of life and property due to the disaster.

During the press conference, Chief Secretary Aryal stated that 21 districts have been affected, with 24 individuals still missing and 158 injured. Additionally, the government stated that 4,331 people have been rescued.

Regarding physical damage, the government has made preliminary estimates of losses amounting to NPR 3.55 billion in drinking water, NPR 2.52 billion in roads, NPR 4 billion in energy, and NPR 1 billion in irrigation.

Nepali Congress MPs criticize Home Minister's disaster response

In a meeting of the parliamentary party of the ruling Nepali Congress, concerns were raised regarding the government's failure to respond effectively to the recent floods and landslides, highlighting Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's statements.

During the meeting held in the Lhotse Hall of the Federal Parliament on Tuesday, lawmakers criticized the government for its inadequate rescue efforts during the disaster. 

MP Rajan KC stated that the home minister from his own party had also failed in the crisis. According to another participant, KC questioned why the government was not present when people were stranded in the floods in Nakkhu, despite being near to Singha Durbar- the main administrative office of the country.

"Rajan criticized the government for its shortcomings in rescue operations and the lack of physical presence of governmental machinery," one MP noted. "Why did the government not arrive on time with ropes and boats?" Rajan asked.

MP Narayan Khadka warned that if the government failed to facilitate the return of people to their homes ahead of the festivals, another disaster could occur. "Dashain is approaching, and people want to go home. The state of the roads is concerning. If we cannot get people home, another disaster will strike. The government needs to pay attention to this."

Maoist Chair Prachanda initiates relief and reconstruction efforts

The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) has launched a volunteer mobilization campaign from the squatters' settlement in Balkhu.

Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' inaugurated the campaign on Tuesday, aimed at providing relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction for citizens affected by natural disasters.

During the event, Prachanda conducted a serious review of the weaknesses in disaster management and urged for rapid progress in relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction efforts.

He pointed out that despite weather forecasts, the government's inability to prepare for and respond to disasters has exacerbated the damage. As the leader of the main opposition party, Prachanda called on the ruling party to join hands with the general public during this crisis for relief and rehabilitation efforts.

Durga Prasai released on bail

The court has ordered the release of medical professional Durga Prasai on a bail of NPR 100,000.

Judge Thakur Prasad Kharel of the Kathmandu District Court has set a bail of NPR 50,000 for each of the two cases against him.

Prasai was arrested by the police's Cyber Bureau from his home in Bhaktapur on September 22.

The Kathmandu District Attorney's Office filed two cases against him related to Electronic Transactions Act.

He is accused of "character assassination" of a woman affiliated with the Rashtriya Swotantra Party on the YouTube channel "Desh Duniya Khabar."

Another man has also filed a complaint against Prasai.

Advance ticket sales to depend on road conditions

From now on, advance ticket bookings will continue only based on road conditions. A meeting of stakeholders at the Department of Transport Management on Tuesday decided that ticket sales would now depend on the state of the roads, ensuring that journeys for those who have already purchased tickets remain secure.

During the meeting, agreements were made to provide compensation to transport operators affected by landslides and floods, to operate vehicles from Kathmandu to Narayangadh only during daylight, and to keep heavy equipment ready in areas designated as red zones, among other points.

Due to the poor condition of the roads, transport operators were considering halting ticket sales in the morning. However, the decision has now been made to sell tickets based solely on the current state of the roads, without making any announcements regarding bookings.

Night traffic ban on Nagdhunga-Naubise road and Prithvi Highway revoked

The Ministry of Home Affairs has revoked its decision to halt traffic on the Tribhuvan Highway’s Naubise-Nagdhunga road and the Prithvi Highway at night.

With the decision retracted, traffic is now flowing smoothly on these routes, as informed by Prahlad Silwal, the information officer at the Dhading District Police Office.

It is understood that the decision to allow traffic at night was made due to the heavy flow of vehicles leaving Kathmandu.

Traffic updates: Current traffic conditions in major highways

Long-distance vehicles departing from New Bus Park in the Kathmandu Valley are currently queuing in the Gongabu, Swayambhu, Kalanki, Naikap, Gurjudhara, Nagdhunga, Chisapani, and Jhyaple Khola areas, according to the traffic police. As of the 8 PM update, traffic police are working to ease the flow at these locations.

Traffic has been suspended today due to a damaged bridge in Nakkhu, Lalitpur. Landslides in various locations have also impacted traffic on the B.P. Highway, affecting vehicles entering and leaving the valley via Pharping and Kanti Lokpath. However, traffic in other areas of the Kathmandu Valley remains normal.

In Kavrepalanchok, the Roshi River has eroded roads in several places, completely blocking the B.P. Highway for several days. Landslides in various areas of Golanjor Rural Municipality and Phikkal Rural Municipality-2 in Sindhuli have obstructed traffic on the Mid-Hill Highway.

In Ramachhap, the Sunkoshi River has swept away a bridge in Manthali Municipality-6, completely halting traffic on the Khurkot-Manthali route. A bridge connecting Rautamai Rural Municipality-5 in Udaypur and Khotehang Rural Municipality-11 in Khotang has collapsed, affecting traffic on the Sagarmatha Highway.

The Beli Bridge over the Hewa Khola, which connects Phidim Municipality and Hilehang Rural Municipality in Panchthar on the Mechi Highway, has been washed away by floods, halting traffic.

On the Mahendra Highway, traffic on the Bardaghat-Daunne section will be completely stopped tonight. The District Administration Office in Nawalparasi (Bardaghat Susta West) has announced that traffic will be halted from 10 PM tonight until 5 AM tomorrow, affecting the route from Bardaghat to Daunne.

The retaining wall has collapsed, and about 4 meters of road has washed away at Khursane Khola in Bardaghat Municipality-4. To facilitate road repairs and ensure smooth traffic flow, the District Administration Office in Nawalparasi (Bardaghat Susta West) has stated that all vehicle movement will be halted overnight, except for emergency vehicles.

Gold prices drop slightly

The price of gold has slightly decreased in the Nepali market on Tuesday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers Association, the price of hallmarked gold, which was set at NPR 160,600 per tola on Monday, has dropped to NPR 160,000 per tola on Tuesday.

Additionally, the price of hallmarked gold is now NPR 137,175 per 10 grams.

Similarly, the price of silver has also fallen. Silver, which was priced at NPR 1,940 per tola on Monday, is now priced at NPR 1,925 per tola on Tuesday.

Trading volume doubles: NPR 7.61 billion in transactions on Tuesday

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) saw a significant increase on Tuesday, rising by 4.57% (114.70 points) to reach 2,623.56 points.

Trading volume also doubled compared to Monday, with a total of 17,507,000 shares bought and sold, amounting to NPR 7.61 billion. On this day, 243 companies saw their stock prices rise, one company experienced a decline, and one remained stable.

All sub-indices of NEPSE increased, particularly in the finance, investment, development bank, and hydropower sectors, attracting investor interest.

On Tuesday, 18 companies hit positive circuit limits, and another 18 companies saw their prices rise by over 9%.

TIA records 559 flights in one day

A total of 559 flights took off and landed at Tribhuvan International Airport on Monday.

According to the airport office, there were 227 takeoffs and 221 landings for domestic flights, including helicopters. For international flights, there were 56 landings and 55 takeoffs.

For Tuesday, the schedule includes 169 landings and 172 takeoffs for domestic flights, excluding helicopters, and 58 flights and 57 landings for international routes.

Due to heavy rainfall, many highways have been blocked, leading passengers to opt for air travel. As a result, airlines have reported that tickets for domestic flights are nearly sold out through Thursday.

Govinda shot in the leg after gun misfires, hospitalised

Actor Govinda accidentally shot himself with his gun while cleaning it on Tuesday morning. The gun misfired, and the bullet ended up hitting his knee. He was rushed to Mumbai’s Criti Care Hospital. He will be kept in the ICU for 24 hours.

A senior Mumbai Police officer has shared the news. The incident happened around 4:45 am when he was getting ready to go out. While he was checking his licenced revolver, it misfired.

The report suggested Govinda lost a lot of blood, and his condition worsened. Sources close to Govinda was preparing to leave Kolkata when the accident happened. He immediately sought medical attention.

China celebrates 75th National Day

The People's Republic of China is celebrating its 75th National Day on Tuesday. In honor of the anniversary of the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, citizens are proudly displaying national flags at their homes, streets, and communities.

The Chinese government has declared a week-long holiday starting today. The combination of the seven-day holiday and the National Day festivities has brought double joy to the people.

Since the declaration of the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949, the nation has celebrated this day annually. 

The Chinese Communist Party was established in 1921, and after overcoming various political challenges, it proclaimed the People's Republic in 1949, leading to the development of modern China as we know it today.

Israel on alert for possible strike from Iran

Israel warned Lebanese people to evacuate border communities Tuesday to avoid harm from limited ground operations it said were launched against Hezbollah, and said it would retaliate if Hezbollah ally Iran launched a missile attack on Israel that a senior U.S. official said could come “imminently.”

The U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the intelligence, warned of “severe consequences” should Iran launch a ballistic missile against Israel. U.S. ships and aircraft are positioned in the region to assist Israel in the event of an attack from Iran.

More than 20 children feared dead in Thailand bus crash

A bus carrying dozens of primary school children has crashed and caught fire just outside the Thai capital Bangkok.

Sixteen children and three teachers are reported to have escaped, but 22 pupils and three teachers are still unaccounted for, according to the country's transport minister.

Officials say they have found ten bodies on the bus, according to the BBC Thai service.

Photographs show the bus completely destroyed by the fire. Investigators are said to have been unable to enter the vehicle because of the heat, according to local media.

The bus was one of three that were carrying children and teachers returning from a school field trip in the northern province of Uthai Thani.

India beat the weather and the clock to sweep Bangladesh 2-0

India 285 for 9 dec (Jaiswal 72, Rahul 68, Mehidy 4-41, Shakib 4-78) and 98 for 3 (Jaiswal 51, Kohli 29*, Mehidy 2-44) beat Bangladesh 233 (Mominul 107*, Bumrah 3-50) and 146 (Shadman 50, Bumrah 3-17, Jadeja 3-34, Ashwin 3-50) by seven wickets

Less than 24 hours after sparking off a near-unthinkable push for victory in a game in which only 35 overs had been bowled in the first three days, India's batters completed the task they had started by smashing down their target of 95 in just over an hour. The highlight of India's performance on Tuesday came from another record-breaker from the fourth day; Ravindra Jadeja's triple-strike started a slide for Bangladesh in an extended first session, in which they were bowled out for 146. India lost three wickets in pursuit before Rishabh Pant hit the winning runs in the chase set up by a 43-ball fifty from Yashasvi Jaiswal, and extended their lead at the top of the WTC points table with a 2-0 series sweep.

PSG drop forward Dembele for visit to Arsenal

Arsenal have been boosted by Ousmane Dembele's omission from the Paris St-Germain squad for Tuesday's Champions League meeting at Emirates Stadium.

France forward Dembele has scored four times in six Ligue 1 matches for PSG this term and also played in the 1-0 win over Spanish side Girona in their Champions League opener.

However, reports had emerged that the 27-year-old had a disagreement with PSG boss Luis Enrique after being substituted late on in their 3-1 win over Rennes in the French top flight on Friday.