Gunpowder inside an old iron pipe ignited as the youths tried to cut it for use in a water tap.

Heavy snowfall and persistent rain have brought colder conditions to high-altitude areas of Jumla, Jajarkot, Gorkha and Manang, affecting residents, livestock and trekkers.

Forty-nine people from Jumla’s Patarasi Rural Municipality remain unaccounted for since the Bhotekoshi floods, including 15 young men from Lamri who had gone to Rasuwa for work.

Authorities step up harvesting and export checks to keep unripe apples off the market and protect the reputation of the high-altitude district’s prized crop.

Farmers say subsidised machines are helpful for farming but often remain idle as repair services and technical knowledge are limited.

More than 40 students at a secondary school in Dillichaur showed symptoms including crying, trembling and collapsing, prompting medical intervention and psychological counselling.

In a geography where good roads are non-existent, even patients needing urgent flight are forced to return from airports.

Some students earn up to Rs 150,000 from yarsagumba, and use it to buy books and pay for private tuition to make up for around two months of missed classes.

The cases were found during the ongoing nationwide nutrition survey.

Financial hardship drives youths from Sinja to India’s pilgrimage route, where earnings are higher but work is physically demanding and risky.

More than 4,000 households in Jumla and Kalikot districts are breathing cleaner air, saving firewood, and spending less time on daily chores.

Years-long construction setbacks in Kanakasundari and Tila force residents to travel far for basic treatment.

Slow release of government funds pushes flood-affected households to rebuild homes through borrowing, leaving many still repaying loans years after the disaster.

Hotels across Pokhara, Chitwan and Lumbini report sharp cancellations from Western travellers, with Indian and domestic tourists now keeping the sector afloat amid rising uncertainty.

Cold-climate aquaculture draws investment and returnee workers, but lack of technical expertise continues to constrain expansion.