Trekkers injured in a maoist attack

[Unregistered]

A note to those who are considering taking a bus or driving in the Kathmandu valley. Two Russian tourists were seriously wounded on April 9 when Maoists threw hand grenades at their car in a roadside ambush 75 km east of Kathmandu. They were driving in the direction of Khumbu. The army helicoptered them back to Kathmandu, where one of the two underwent a surgery. If I remember correctly, this is the first time tourists get hit by the insurgency. I did the Gorak Shep trek last November without any problem and did not sence any danger as pretty much everyone on this forum, although I was warned about staying off the highways in the Kathmandu valley.

Anatoliy
Moscow

[yakshaver]

I take the liberty of copying and pasting a post from mieke on another forum, which explains the situation better... Apparently it was not a landmine, but someone (Maoists...) threw an explosive device at the Russian climbers vehicle... The vehicle was some distance behind the tourist convoy to which it belonged, did not carry a "toursits" sticker, and the throwers believed it did not contain tourists.
I know it is terrible to think that is makes it any better the fact that the intention was to hurt Nepalis and not foreign tourists, and that this was a case of mistaken identity...
Here is mieke's post, however:


Fyi I'm inserting a link to the story supplied by MOUNTEVEREST.NET , quote- "Not a tourist attack / Alex says he and the guys were only 10 minutes behind the convoy, and the car didn’t carry a “tourist only” sticker, as is customary in the current situation. He doesn’t feel that the attack was targeted at tourists, rather that the Maoists mistook them for locals." -unquote

And here below is the URL of an interview with Alexander Abramov, published on EVERESTNEWS.COM
http://www.everestnews.com/everest2005/everestalex2005u04112005.htm
"Mt. Everest 2005: Two Everest climbers attacked by Maoists bombing on the way to Everest Base camp.... More from Alexander Abramov who was in the vehicle"
- - -

No landmine accident, a deliberate attack, but on a vehicle that got behind on the convoy it belonged to and apparently not easily recognisable as used for TOURIST transportation. I think that's important information.

http://www.mounteverest.net/story/NepalBlastupdateThehospitalfeelslikeawarzoneApr112 005.shtml

[Unregistered]

Maybe I have to reconsidere taking local public transporto from Lukla to Jiri and hire a private car... and not forget the tourist sticker.

[]'s

Hendrik

[andrees]

hi Hendrik,
Last december i wanted to take the bus from Jiri to Kahmandu as my plane was going 6 days later.
But then Maobadis started the day befor a Bhand ore strike.
So I walked about 110 extra-km. before I could catch a taxi for the last 56 km. Two days later, maoist have set fire to four taxis waiting in this very same town.
On all the road from jiri to Lamosangu maoisbadis have felt trees and build stone-obstacles, often with bombs on them, so even with protection no vehicle could have past.
The Bomb was thrown on a bus driving on the main road to Tibet and was not anymore in the military "protected" convoy. Anyway, there has been another attac on a convoy on the mein highway .
so there is just one thing to learn- when there is a strike dont drive - if possible fly or walk.

[Unregistered]

Again, thanks Andrees!

I don't know if I will have the nescessary time to walk Kathmandu-Jiri. I think not. If for this reasons I have to sacrifice the trek Jiri-Lukla, well... I just fly to Lukla and will have extra 10 days, which I can use to do the Nangpa la trek.

[]'s

Hendrik