Thirteen people were killed and 37 others injured when a bus carrying more passengers than its capacity skidded off the road and plunged 150 metres into a gorge in Pokhara yesterday. Republica reports:

Bus driver Ram Bahadur Pariyar said the accident occurred as shock absorbing blades of the ill-maintained old bus snapped when the vehicle got into a small pothole. “I tried my best to avert the mishap, but couldn’t control the bus as it was in poor condition,” Pariyar, who has sustained head injuries, said.

Where there are roads, accidents have become far too common. Two people were killed in Gulmi in a tractor accident. Another person was killed in Chitwan when a bus turned turtle trapping him under it. A taxi driver was killed in Kathmandu on Monday when it collided with a jeep.

Where there are no roads, people are paying a huge price for it - literally. People of Karnali region are facing a colossal rise in the price of food and essential items because Karnali Lokmarga, the only road that leads to the region, has been closed for six months. Kantipur reports:

A litre of cooking old charged at Rs 100 in Nepalgunj costs Rs 320 when it reaches Simikot, the headquarter of Humla. A bar of soap that should cost between Rs 6 – 12, costs somewhere between Rs 30 - 60. A litre of kerosene sold at Rs 55 elsewhere, costs Rs 350 in Humla. In spite of the huge mark-ups, Humla residents don’t even get the items when they need it.

Talking of cost, DFID has released the estimated cost incurred in sending the Nepali delegation to Copenhagen. DFID, WWF and other international development organisations are covering the 57  government delegates’ expenses. The government will foot the bills for the prime minister and his wife. The Himalayan Times quotes Simon Lucas, climate change advisor for DFID Nepal:

‘Though we are yet to calculate the total expenditure, we are likely to spend $1, 30,000. Besides we paid for so many delegates since we wanted Nepal to make a good impression,” he said.

It’s worth noting that 38 delegates were sent from China while 34 were sent from India.

While the prime minister left for Copenhagen carrying a message to save the Himalayas, the opposition party’s chairman, Pushpa Kamal Daha, visited the foot of the Himalayas to declare a new federal state of Sherpa. From the Himalayan Times:

Party chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” himself turned up at a programme at Salleri of Solukhumbu to declare “Sherpa autonomous state”. While, politburo member Gopal Kiranti declared “Kirant autonomous state” in Diktel of Khotang.

The Maoists also reiterated that they would release the unqualified combatants unilaterally, just as Radhika Coomaraswamy, the special UN representative for children and armed conflict landed in Kathmandu to ensure progress in the release of nearly 3,000 Maoist combatants verified as minors. The Kathmandu Post reports:

“We are ready to unilaterally release all the disqualified from the cantonments. We can even start the process during the visit of the Special Representative of the UN,” said Maoist Standing Committee member Barsha Man Pun.

”But there are some differences between the UN and us, as to how the process should be carried out.” He said the UNMIN has suggested adhering to international standards on discharge in carrying out the process and discussions are under way towards that end.