Double amputee ex-Nepalese soldier scripts history; climbs Mt Everest with artificial legs: Official
Kathmandu (PTI): A double amputee ex-British Gurkha soldier has scaled Mt. Everest, scripting history by becoming the first in the category to scale the world's highest peak with artificial legs, an official said on Saturday.
Hari Budhamagar, 43, scaled the 8848.86-metre peak on Friday late afternoon.
"Double amputee ex-soldier Hari Budhamagar created history on Friday by becoming the first person with such conditions to scale Mt Everest," the official from the Department of Tourism said.
Budhamagar, who lost both his legs in the war in Afghanistan while fighting as a soldier of British Gorkha for the UK government in 2010, scaled Mt Everest with artificial legs.
He had postponed his plan to scale Mt Everest in 2018 after the government introduced a mountaineering regulation that banned blind, double-amputee and solo climbers from climbing the mountains, including Everest in 2017.
A writ petition was filed against the ban and in response to that the Supreme Court vacated the rule by issuing an order in 2018, paving the way for Budhamagar to create history.
On Sunday, five foreigners climbed the summit of Mount Everest.
Nepal has issued a record 466 permits to climb Mount Everest this spring, officials said.
Nepal is home to eight of the world's 10 highest peaks.
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PM Modi speaks to Iranian president, discusses 'serious' situation in West Asia
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday night spoke to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian over the phone and discussed the "serious situation" in West Asia.
Modi expressed deep concern over the escalation of tensions in the region and the loss of civilian lives as well as damage to civilian infrastructure.
The prime minister told the Iranian President that the safety and security of Indian nationals, along with the need for unhindered transit of goods and energy, remain India's top priorities.
“Had a conversation with Iranian President, Dr Masoud Pezeshkian, to discuss the serious situation in the region. Expressed deep concern over the escalation of tensions and the loss of civilian lives as well as damage to civilian infrastructure,” Modi said in a post on X.
The prime minister also reiterated India's commitment to peace and stability and urged dialogue and diplomacy to end the crisis.
The prime minister had spoken to leaders of several West Asian countries in the last 10 days in the wake of the coordinated offensive launched against Iran by the United States and Israel, in which the Islamic country's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, was killed last month.
In retaliation, Iran has fired drones and missiles at Israel and US military installations around the Gulf region, including the global business and aviation hubs of Dubai and Doha.
Modi earlier spoke to the leaders of Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Israel and Qatar, and expressed concern over the attacks on their countries, and condemned the violation of some nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He also discussed the welfare and security of the Indian community residing in those countries.
Around 1 crore Indians live in the Gulf and West Asia. While about 10,000 Indian citizens live, study and work in Iran, more than 40,000 live in Israel.
