United News of Bangladesh

Rescuers recovered eight bodies from the base camp of Mount Himlung in Nepal on Thursday, raising the death toll from an avalanche during severe weather Sunday to 15. The Nepal National Mountain Guide Association, which is leading the search operation, said rescuers dug through thick snow at the mountain's base camp and found eight bodies inside tents. One person remains missing. “Due to continuing mountain hazards, recovery efforts have been temporarily concluded,” the association said, adding that the search could resume when weather and mountain conditions improve. Experienced mountain guides from the association had been working throughout the week, taking advantage of better weather to clear snow from the base camp. Rescuers also found 10 other climbers who were part of the group on Mount Himlung, a 7,126-meter (23,380-foot) peak in north-central Nepal. Nepal is home to eight of the world's 14 highest mountains, including Mount Everest. The Himlung avalanche is being described as one of the country's deadliest mountaineering disasters. Hundreds of foreign climbers travel to Nepal each year to attempt to climb some of the world's highest peaks. Many have died while facing severe weather and other dangers in the mountains. All those killed or still missing in this week's avalanche were Nepali nationals who were preparing for the arrival of foreign climbers during the autumn climbing season, which began this month. Nepal is also recovering from devastating floods in August that swept away several villages, killing more than 1,400 people and leaving nearly 6,000 missing.

The death toll from a powerful explosion at a biotech factory in north China’s Shanxi Province has risen to eight, local authorities said on Sunday. Officials confirmed that eight people had died as of 9:30am following the blast, which occurred on Saturday at a workshop of Jiapeng Biotech Company in Shanyin County under Shuozhou City. Xi Jinping seeks stable China-US ties, signals cooperation with Trump Authorities have placed the company’s legal representative under control as part of the ongoing investigation. A probe committee has also been formed to determine the cause of the explosion and assess responsibility. Further details will be released as the investigation progresses.

The number of deaths from a devastating boat accident on the Congo River earlier this week has climbed to 148, with over 100 people still unaccounted for, officials confirmed Friday. The vessel was carrying around 500 passengers when the disaster occurred. The wooden motorboat, named HB Kongolo, caught fire and capsized Tuesday near Mbandaka in northwestern Congo. According to river commissioner Compétent Loyoko, the fire reportedly began when a woman was cooking aboard the vessel. The panic that followed led many passengers, including women and children, to jump into the river—many of whom could not swim. While dozens were rescued, many survivors suffered severe burns. Rescue efforts, aided by the Red Cross and local authorities, are ongoing in hopes of finding those still missing. Senator Jean-Paul Boketsu Bofili of Equateur province noted the tragedy’s scale, stating, “Among the 500 passengers, the loss of life is enormous.” He also emphasized that over 150 burn victims are in urgent need of humanitarian aid. Congo flood kills 33, officials rush aid efforts Boat accidents are tragically frequent in the Democratic Republic of Congo, often due to overcrowding, unsafe travel at night, and lax enforcement of maritime safety rules. With poor infrastructure and limited road access, many Congolese rely on river travel, increasing the risks. “Our beautiful Congo River and the lakes throughout our country have sadly become mass graves for our people,” said Bofili. “This cannot continue.”  

Divers  recovered the body of a man from Laiska Canal in Bijoynagar upazila of Brahmanbaria district on Friday midnight, raising the death toll from a trawler capsize in the canal to 21. Fire services sources said they managed to recover the body around 12am. On Friday evening , over 20 people drowned and many more went missing as a trawler sank after being hit by another sand-laden one in the Laiska Canal. Although the identities of the deceased could not be known yet, sources said most of the victims were women and children. Read: Bay of Bengal trawler capsize: 4 bodies recovered Officer-in-charge of Brahmanbaria Sadar Model Police Station Md Imranul Islam told UNB that fire service drivers have been working relentlessly to trace out the missing passengers. A witness, identifying himself as Rizvi, said the trawler was carrying nearly 100 passengers. Read: Netrakona trawler capsize: Death toll reaches 12 Bangladesh, a delta nation crisscrossed by more than 230 rivers, sees such tragic incidents regularly.

At least 24 people were killed and 189 injured in three days of clashes in New Delhi that coincided with U.S. President Donald Trump's first state visit to India, with the death toll expected to rise as hospitals continue to take in the wounded, authorities said Wednesday.