ABU DHABI // A Dubai trekker who aimed to scale one of Nepal’s tallest peaks for charity has described his lucky escape from a building moments before it collapsed.
Ala Lababidi arrived in Nepal on Thursday for a trek to the 6,189 metre-high summit of Imja Tse, better known as Island Peak, less than 10 kilometres from Mount Everest.
The 33-year-old Syrian expatriate was six hours into his trek from the village of Lukla, heading towards Namche, when the earthquake struck.
“We had stopped for a bite to eat and to take a break at a tea house,” said Mr Lababidi, managing partner at Creos Consulting. “Then the whole structure and floor starting shaking really hard so we ran out as fast as we could and watched the tea house partially collapse in front of our eyes.”
Mr Lababidi said he was in shock as events unfurled. “We watched as tea houses and lodges fell apart and got caught up in landslides.”
He was aiming to complete the charity trek to raise funds for the Syrian Children Relief Project, which helps young people to receive medical assistance and care which they cannot get in war-torn Syria.
Mr Lababidi, his guide and Sherpa continued their trek until they found a safer stopping point.
“We decided to keep moving forwards until we reached the lodge at our next destination,” he said.
“There were helicopters all day, going on rescue missions, and the injured were being taken to the local hospitals or to Kathmandu.”
Mr Lababidi was stranded in Lukla for two days while he waited to get a flight to Kathmandu.
For those who were waiting to leave it was a bonding experience.
“Among the trekkers and guides we just stuck together and made sure everyone was safe,” he said.
Mr Lababidi reached Nepal’s capital city on Monday, as aftershocks continued to jolt the area. People were advised to sleep in tents instead of in lodges.
He is now in Thamel, which was devastated. “It was affected badly by the earthquake, so 90 per cent of places there are shut.”
It is a waiting game to know when he can return home. “At the moment we have no idea. We will only know with time.”
Mr Lababidi had planned to raise US$10,000 (Dh36,700) on the 20-day trek. He plans to return to Nepal in October.
jbell@thenational.ae
Haemoglobin disorders explained
Thalassaemia is part of a family of genetic conditions affecting the blood known as haemoglobin disorders.
Haemoglobin is a substance in the red blood cells that carries oxygen and a lack of it triggers anemia, leaving patients very weak, short of breath and pale.
The most severe type of the condition is typically inherited when both parents are carriers. Those patients often require regular blood transfusions - about 450 of the UAE's 2,000 thalassaemia patients - though frequent transfusions can lead to too much iron in the body and heart and liver problems.
The condition mainly affects people of Mediterranean, South Asian, South-East Asian and Middle Eastern origin. Saudi Arabia recorded 45,892 cases of carriers between 2004 and 2014.
A World Health Organisation study estimated that globally there are at least 950,000 'new carrier couples' every year and annually there are 1.33 million at-risk pregnancies.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
More Iraq election coverage:
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
