Asia-Cast

Asia Cast for Sunday 15th November

In this Bulletin…

- Heavy snowstorms cause chaos in China;
- Renowned climber dies on Nepal peak; and
- Suicide bombing kills 11 in Pakistan.

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Heavy snowstorms swept through northern China, leaving dozens of buildings collapsed and many injured and dead. The snow also interfered with traffic and travel plans.

From November 9 to 12, the provinces of Hebei, Shanxi and Henan experienced the heaviest snowfall in 60 years. The capital of Henan, Zhengzhou city, got a foot of snow.

Dozens of buildings in Shanxi, including farmer’s markets, gas stations and school cafeterias, collapsed under the weight of the snowfall. A middle school in Kaifang County suddenly caved in on the evening of Nov. 12, killing one student and injuring seven, according to China Youth Daily.

Other schools have experienced roof collapses, but no casualties were reported.

The Epoch Times has more on this report.

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Burma’s prime minister has been urged by U.S President Barack Obama to release the pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.

Mr. Obama delivered the message as he met leaders of the Asean grouping of south-east Asian nations in Singapore.

White House press secretary said Mr. Obama raised the issue “directly” with General Thein Sein.

Ms Suu Kyi’s house arrest was extended in August beyond the elections planned for next year. She has spent 14 years in detention in the past two decades.

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The renowned Slovenian mountaineer, Tomasz Humar, has been found dead in the Himalayas.

Viki Groselj, a fellow Slovenian mountaineer and friend of Mr. Humar, told the Associated Press that he had broken his leg and become stranded.

The father-of-two had been attempting to climb a 23,710ft (7,227m) peak, Langtang Lirung.

Subsequent rescue attempts were hampered by heavy snowfall.

Gerold Biner, flight operations manager for the Swiss Air Zermatt mountain rescue company, said his body was recovered early on Saturday by a three-man rescue team after it was spotted during an aerial search.

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An express train crashed near the Indian city of Jaipur killing at least seven people and leaving dozens more injured.

All 15 carriages of the Mandore Express, travelling between Jodhpur and Delhi, were derailed.

Rescuers are using metal-cutting equipment to try to free people trapped in three overturned carriages.

India’s vast railway network carries many millions of people daily, but has a poor safety record.

Last week, 14 people were killed when a passenger train rammed into a truck at an unmanned railway crossing in Uttar Pradesh.

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Indonesian authorities opened fire on a boat crammed full of Australia-bound Afghan asylum seekers, after demanding a bribe the Afghans could not afford to pay, one of the asylum seekers says.

The group of 61 Afghans had been on the water for four days, when the Indonesian coast guard intercepted them near Rote Island early on Friday.

The coast guard demanded a 54,000 dollar bribe from the Afghans. They handed over all their money and were allowed to proceed.

Half an hour later they were stopped by another coast guard boat, whose crew asked for more money.

Because they could not pay, the Indonesians told them they had to stop their boat. But the Afghans, who believed they were then in international waters, decided to continue.

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“Asia Cast … Keeping you across the top headlines from Asia and the world.”