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mieke
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*search over* ~ Nepal: KRISTINA KOVACEVIC († 15 March 2006, Dole)
MISSING IN THE KHUMBU
thread updated Monday July 31 (page 2 only, no news added)
THE SEARCH IS OVER...
On Fri. May 19 Kristina's remains were recovered from a gorge near Dole
It is due to the fact that relatives and friends did not start their own online blog re. the proceedings of their searchefforts, that this thread became much more detailed than other ones here about missing travellers/trekkers.
 < - - - > 
Kristina Kovacevic from Germany, 41 years old, 1.62 m' tall (=> 5 ft 3"), brown hair.
Kristina arrived in Kathmandu late February, eventually took a flight to Lukla (EDIT: meanwhile it's proven she did not fly, yet did the trek from Jiri to Lukla on foot), climbed up to Namche Bazaar and sent the last e-mail anyone received from her on Monday March 13 from Namche. She was in a good mood: in the mail she mainly complained about how expensive the use of internet is in Namche Bazaar...
She was travelling and trekking alone, something she had done so many times already. She had been to Nepal to go trekking on three or four previous occasions. But she was also - on her own - in (the mountains of) f.e. Greenland, Alaska, Tasmania and Sudan.
She wrote that she would continue to trek up to Gorak Shep, and be back in Namche on the 20th of March. EDIT: in the meantime it has become clear Gorak Shep was NOT on her itinerary; instead - and with the idea to stay away a week - GOKYO f.e. could have been a likely candidate.
From there (meaning once she'd be back in Namche again), she had plans to do another trek of about two weeks "in the wilderness", but nobody knows where in Nepal that would have been. From what I learned she had a return flight booked from Lukla to Ktm, but never used the ticket nor did she ask for a refund. There are no records of her ever leaving Lukla by airplane.
However, she was also expected to arrive in Bali (Indonesia) early April, where her close friend was on holiday and they would meet. But she never showed up and none of her relatives or friends heard from her to this day. Also, until now nobody reported anything to her relatives about a solo trekker getting in trouble in the Khumbu in March.
There was an awful lot of snow falling in all of the Khumbu this year March, which certainly didn't make it any easier or safer for the trekkers out there. So it is considered a possibility indeed that her usual luck left her, and that she had a fatal accident somehow.
Another complication is that this spring a new office is being constructed at the entrance/exit checkpoint of Sagarmatha Park. So there were a lot of building activities, and many trekkers have meanwhile reported they could walk in or out through the gates without anyone asking them to register. As a result, many trekkers never signed the books in March.
NAMCHE YOUTH GROUP, who started to check on the Trekker Intention Books and the lodges in Namche Bazaar, latest reporting IN HERE.
Because Kristina has an international job that involves a lot of travelling and because they were used to her not keeping in touch really regularly, her relatives and friends at first didn't think too much of it. And especially in April there were the ongoing demonstrations, the curfews, and the strike all over Nepal too. With electricity and even phonelines down some of the time, no transport, and so on. But when last week they still heard nothing from Kristina, her sister Karolin and her friend Silke decided to call in the help of others, because seven weeks without any contact is extreme.
They feel sure that if any trekkers met with Kristina, people would certainly remember her because she is rather unique! Not the kind of person you would overlook, or forget any time soon.
More info and MORE PHOTOS of Kristina's trip to Nepal in 2005 on this page of the Nepal-dia.de website: MISSING PERSONS IN THE HIMALAYA
Police in Germany is activated, so is the German Embassy in Kathmandu, and on May 11 Kristina's sister and a German who volunteered to accompany and help her, will fly to Nepal to coordinate searchefforts, in the first place in the Khumbu.
CONTACT ADDRESSES:
dragon1314@yahoo.com = Karolin, the sister of Kristina
Silke@sinkenken.de = Silke, a close friend
German Embassy in Kathmandu: info@kathmandu.diplo.de
two more photos of Kristina:
 < - - - - > 
And a bigger version of the thumbnail-photo > in here <
In addition, Nepal News.com published another photo of Kristina on May 14.
Click link to see it: HERE.
Last edited by mieke, 31/7/06, 17:20
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mieke
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the original "S.O.S." message
Translation of the basic information in the appeal-post on Trekkingforum.com
and German version of the nepal-dia missing persons webpage
S.O.S. MISSING Kristina Kovacevic
Hello dear Nepal trekkers.
We are missing our beloved Kristina. The last time we heard from her was on March 13 from Namche. We are desperate. Perhaps somebody met her on the Annapurna trek. She is 41 years old, 1.62 m' tall, chubby, with brown hair.
We have not heard anything anymore since the 13th of March and it was in fact agreed that in the beginning of April she would come to Bali, where my husband and I were on holiday...
Kristina works for Lufthansa airlines and she is often on her way across the globe. We are used to not hearing from her during longer periods of time, but this time it's simply too many weeks(7 !!!) and we feel certain that she would have sent a message had she been able to…. If it hadn't been for the political unrest and disturbances in Nepal lately, we would have started worrying much sooner.
To be honest, we don't know exactly where she was travelling. The last e-mail came on the 13th of March, from Namche. She was planning on passing by in Namche again on the 20th, send us a message, and then continue trekking for two more weeks in some "wilderness" – but which one???
In our contacts with Kristina we are used to a set-back every once in a while ;) , only this time it's all so strange that we have become very worried. She is always travelling alone and says you always meet lots of people. We would be extremely grateful if anyone could tell us about her present whereabouts!!!
We were of the opinion that because of the political unrest she would be unable to contact us, but meanwhile most of the tensions have obviously gone, the curfews have ended and we are passionately waiting for a sign of life.
If friends of yours were in Nepal in March or April, and particularly if they were in the Khumbu during the second half of March, then please send them an e-mail to focus attention on missing Kristina. Because every indication or reporting of where she was seen, what her trekking plans were and what clothes she was wearing can be of significant help to us.
PLEASE HELP US !!!!!
Information to be sent please to:
dragon1314@yahoo.com or to Silke@sinkenken.de
Thank you say Karolin (the sister) and Silke (the friend)
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news & further developments towards the end of May 2006
Posted June 6
Late last week the sister and the volunteer who accompanied her to Nepal, safely returned in Germany. Expect to hear more about her quest from Karolin herself now in (the near) future.
Posted May 30
It's expected that Kristina's sister can return to Europe later this week, once she finished all tasks she was required to carry out in Kathmandu.
From a reply Dave sent re. pages of a Trekker Intention Book in a Namche Lodge:
quote:
The pages in the Trekker books are not numbered but future editions will be.
[. . .]
The community derives it's income from trekking tourism and they will close ranks to prevent unpleasant news getting out.
[. . .]
They are also confused, worried and unsure what effect this bad publicity is going to have on their livelihoods.
Myself I don't see how this will have a negative impact on trekking in the Khumbu. But hopefully what it will do, is make trekkers even better aware nót to trek there all alone, and to pay good attention to the weather.
Re. a clear explanation why it was felt that one or more TIB-pages in a Namche lodge had disappeared, I'm hoping for an answer about this as soon as the person who brought it up is in a position to do so. It's irrelevant meanwhile re. the search for Kristina, but it is important in view of the future and the whole safety-project with the "Trekker Intention Books".
Posted May 28
There are regular contacts with Karolin who herself is in touch with all the concerned authorities,
in Nepal and in Germany, on a daily base.
No reply yet re. my request if from a TIB in Namche, pages had already been removed.
Another reminder was sent.
Posted May 25
Formalities still need to be completed between Germany and Nepal.
In the reconstruction-thread a poster reported about another solo female trekker who had a scary experience late February somewhere between Machermo and Phortse, via Dole.
Another poster raised doubts with a remark about pages of a "TIB" being removed meanwhile already. A request was made to confirm this.
Posted May 22
She managed, and spoke to the press indeed today. Like in here:
NEW KERALA.COM - "Missing German trekker found dead in Nepal"
THE HIMALAYAN TIMES
Posted May 21
All through yesterday it was clear that Karolin, Kristina's sister, was in very bad shape in her hotel in Kathmandu. In her own words, she had a nervous breakdown on Friday already, after arriving back from the Khumbu. To those who meanwhile know a bit of what she has been through ever since arriving in Lukla on Tuesday, it would probably be strange had she NóT suffered a serious "breakdown" of her nerves and with the need to take absolute rest.
With a short e-mail on Sunday morning, she explained that the press conference is postponed till tomorrow, so she'll feel better by then.
Meanwhile a thread was started up on Trekkingforum.com to attempt a reconstruction of Kristina's whereabouts: the good times, and the circumstances that led to her tragic death.
Kristina's Trek von Jiri bis Dole: eine Rekonstruktion
Posted May 19
A long e-mail arrived from Karolin, who is still in Nepal. She announces that she'll give another press conference there tomorrow.
Posted LATE May 18
Myself I have not heard anyting from or about Karolin (and her companion Manfred) today, and imo it couldn't be expected that Karolin would send another mail to many of her contacts on this heavy, painful Thursday.
In the long SOS-thread on Trekkingforum, Silke reported that she and other friends in Germany were extremely busy checking out the precise insurances situation (what expenses will be covered).
On that board, Trekkingforum.com , it was agreed meanwhile and supported by its webmaster that people will try to "reconstruct" Kristina's whereabouts as best as they can, based on the information coming in from several other trekkers who were in that same area, on the same days Kristina was. Many trekkers say they would like to know, if possible, the cause of this death. This idea of an attempt to make a "reconstruction" is welcomed too by friends of Kristina, also on behalf of her mother and her sister.
For the time being I'll use this thread here on the Runboard to prepare contributions to such a reconstruction of events and circumstances, in as far as saving and translating the several reactions from trekkers elsewhere is concerned; I see no reason why that couldn't be done here.
Naturally fellow trekkers and other internetters have started posting their condolences in the several threads on several travelboards (in several languages). We'll find a way to collect all those personal messages, translate them, and make sure that especially Kristina's mother and her sister Karolin, but also her friends will be able to read them all. After all, they were posted for them.
I'm not aware of any publications in the Nepali press on May 18, regarding the tragic outcome of the search for Kristina Kovacevic. There may have been some, but there also may have been good reasons why it looks as if there were none indeed. One reason for sure could be the "revolution" that took place in "the new Nepal" on Thursday: see Nepal News.com.
As for press: many thanks to the press agency correspondent who arranged for the sad news about Kristina to become available in Germany only around midnight last night. It gave friends of Karolin and her the time they needed to avoid that this shocking message would reach the closest relative, and other friends, "through the evening news"....
There is a maximum to the length of any reply in a Runboard-thread.
Running out of space with some replies here, I'll re-organise this thread a.s.a.p.
Posted EARLY May 18
On May 17 at approx. 6 pm Nepali time, Karolin sent an e-mail from Namche to a number of her friends and contacts. She was very confused, tired and sad beyond description. Because straight upon arriving in Namche Bazaar it turned out police had been waiting for her already, and she was informed by them that meanwhile the dead body of her missing sister had been discovered in a gorge near Dole.
So this is the end of her search. But an extremely difficult task – physically and emotionally – is awaiting Karolin still when on Thursday Kristina's body will be collected in Dole in Karolin's presence, to be flown to Kathmandu. And she will be requested to officially identify her sister's remains.
It is Karolin's intention, if possible, to leave Nepal and take Kristina home the same day.
It is worth noting that under the circumstances on this black Wednesday after arriving in Namche Bazaar in the afternoon, during her communications with Heike Widmer, 3rd secretary of the German Embassy in Kathmandu, Mrs. Widmer emphasised that the Embassy is presenting Karolin Stallcup an invoice of US$ 5.400 for the helicopter operation on Thursday, and another invoice of Euro 8.500 for the repatriation of Kristina Kovacevic's remains to Germany. Business is business.
Posted May 17
Bad news arrived, with an e-mail from Karolin who reached Namche Bazaar this afternoon.
Details will follow here no sooner than tomorrow.
ATT: earlier updates here below
Last edited by mieke, 26/6/06, 17:31
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news & developments around mid-May 2006
Posted May 16
Early this morning Karolin mailed to say she received an e-mail from a French woman trekker in Thamel, who only found out about Kristina's disappearance late yesterday afternoon. The woman met with Kristina in JUMBESI around the 6th of March.
UPDATE ON THE NYG-SITE - URL of the page meanwhile changed into:
http://www.namcheyouthgroup.org/missing/kristinakovacevic.html
Posted May 15
With an e-mail she sent today, Karolin made clear that neither her Embassy nor the officials in Nepal feel able to be of true assistance to her. With the exception, may be, of the Immigration Department that would take up the matter with Interpol. Nor does she expect the German Police to arrive there any time soon.
She has decided what her first moves will be upon arriving in Lukla, and expects to be online again in a week from now.
quote:
Apart from feeling very let down by our Embassy and being denied everything, in spite of my requests and pleas for assistance, when I'll return home I will really blow off some steam at our politicians. It can't be true that the Embassy is only asking for help, but doesn't undertake anything itself. "I should understand this is Nepal, and their hands are tied".
The idea of searches carried out by the HRDSN and its dogs, had to be abandoned due to lack
of funds as well as the fact that apparently the organisation is not allowed entrance in the Sagarmatha Park anymore during the past 3 years (this according to information in the article published by THE KATHMANDU POST yesterday).quote:
Stephen, a search expert associated with Ingo shanabul Rescue Organization based in Shyauli bazaar in Lamjung, said his organization cannot help in the rescue work as search expeditions have been barred from going to the hills and mountains for the last three years.
This is odd, because last year July there were S&R operations around EBC and the Khumbu Icefall, in October French officers and their dogs searched Mt. Kang Guru where 18 people were killed in an avalanche, in December German policeofficers – again with dogs – searched large parts of the Nagarjun Forest and in March of 2006 their French colleagues did the same. So why not a Nepal-based S&R organisation?
The lack of funds also seems to cause the NYG to stop its efforts re. checking on the TIB's and mealorderbooks in the lodges north of Namche Bazaar. And with no major fundraising campaign being organised and only limited donations being made so far, it's up to Karolin and German volunteer Manfred and their translator to pay for all their expenses themselves. So I suppose Karolin has good reasons to feel rather disappointed in the mechanisms and obstructions re. what can be done when a foreign trekker goes missing in Nepal.
I will now stop updating this thread, untill we'll hear from Karolin again – hopefully – in about a week's time.
Posted May 14
With an e-mail dated May 14 Karolin informed friends and current contacts of her experiences with the press conference, while saying she is doing okay.
Glad to see she could speak about her frustrations; here are some of the first RESULTS!
German lady missing in Everest region for two months; no rescue bid yet
Nepal News.com, published May 14
Search for Missing German Trekker to Intensify - The Himalayan Times, published May 15
Posted May 13
In an e-mail Karolin sent today she says there is contact now with the HRDSN, who didn't know at all yet about her sister's disappearance and who were surprised the Embassy or anyone else didn't notify them. That option is now being checked out over the weekend: how realistic it is – under the variety of circumstances and requirements – that one or more HRDSN-teams and their S&R dogs will go search for Kristina a.s.a.p.
Furthermore she'll meet with at least one journalist this afternoon still, to discuss proceedings.
And she also confirmed that indeed Silke's mailaddress is on auto-respond on the weekends. Which made Manfred post Karolin's address dragon1314@yahoo.com once more in the Trekkingforum.com-thread this morning.
And I feel very bad. For upon noticing on May 1 that the HRDSN website is completely offline when I wanted to show it to Karolin and Silke, I've tried in vain to ask around what was going on and what the current e-mail address for its director was (because I knew it had changed). No replies, same as with my various efforts to interest the Team at ExplorersWeb to publish about Kristina. So I'm now seriously wondering if my Gmail account suffers from some "hiccups" every now and then, and mails maybe do not arrive where I want them to?
However, I should have told Karolin about the HRDSN anyhow. And even although (there's a limited budget!) they can't work for free, and with the initial reports about Kristina attempting to go to Gorak Shep that might well have been at too high altitude for the searchdogs to perform. See in the Mounteverest.net publication of August 4, 2005.
Posted May 12
A friendly Kathmandu-based journalist, yesterday, offered tips and advice to Karolin re. how to best proceed with the media once she'd be in the capital. And he gave her his cellphone number should she need assistance. So that was really gréat, because so far many of the media we've tried to activate, simply don't seem interested in a "missing trekker case"...
Late in my afternoon today, Karolin sent several people a mail to say they had meanwhile arrived safe and sound in Kathmandu. She had paid a visit to the KGH where her sister had stayed, and though there as well many people recognise Kristina from the photos, none of them can tell where she said she would be going to. Karolin met a group of German trekkers from Heidelberg in Ktm, who are headed for a trek to EBC. She gave them lots of flyers to take along and they promised her to look for Kristina and ask about her in every lodge on their route.
Tomorrow efforts will be made to get in touch with the press, and also a visit to the Kathmandu Police Headquarters is on the agenda. On Monday they'll be at their Embassy, which means the flight to Lukla is now planned for Tuesday.
Silke's well-known e-mail address on Friday evening generated an "auto reply" again, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed she won't be offline every weekend...
Posted May 11
No updates yet on the website of the Namche Youth Group when I'm posting this edit.
But what you may also want to read is my latest post on page 4 of the Trekkingforum.com thread,a reply titled "it takes a true hero". And don't forget to click the links there!
With a "goodbye"-post in the long thread on Trekkingforum.com this morning, Karolin Stallcup (Kristina's sister) confirmed she's leaving for Nepal today. She expresses - also on behalf of her missing sister - her sincere gratitude to everyone who helped supplying relevant information so far.
In the event she would, after all, manage to bring her sister back home to Germany in good shape, she promises a giant party and we're all invited... Her friend Silke, in Germany, will stay in charge of communications should something urgent pop up. And Karolin didn't forget to remind us that she can use all the luck in the world!!!!!
Posted May 10
Yesterday, in Germany, a long meeting took place of the sister (Karolin) with many friends and contacts and with volunteer Manfred (who will accompany her to Nepal when they fly out tomorrow). They went over all now available info & details, and discussed the organisation in Nepal and back home for the next couple of weeks.
What's supposed to be really clear now, is that Gorak Shep would not have been on Kristina's itinerary. She was there last year already, and didn't want to return. But a trek to Gokyo, then be back a week later in Namche to continue towards Jiri is certainly a possibility.
Money is still an issue to conduct a thorough search, so any donations (for bank details scroll down) are very welcome.
ATT: earlier updates here below
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news & developments early May 2006
Posted May 8
Latest from Karolin, the sister of Kristina. An e-mail has popped up that Kristina sent to one of her friends earlier in March. (I'm presently not sure of the exact date, but in any case the mail was NOT from later than March 13). The friend was under the impression she had long deleted it, but then suddenly managed to retrieve it again.
In the mail Kristina said she had decided to go on a trek through Maoist territory. Even though she said she knew that could be "tricky" ("heikel"), she was firmly decided on going there.
How important this is, is unclear at present in my opinion. Because (see below news from NYG) she did leave a bag behind in her Namche guesthouse. And a long, lonely trek through Maoist-controlled territory in my opinion would nót mean she expected to return all the way up to Namche Bazaar again. (Stay aware please that my opinion is totally irrelevant here).
Please read the May 8 UPDATE by the NAMCHE YOUTH GROUP
A bag of Kristina was retrieved from her Lodge in Namche on May 8, when the owner recognised her from photos. So we now know she stayed in the ZAMLING Guest House.
FLYERS ARE READY IN ENGLISH AND IN GERMAN
Karolin sent me an example of both of them by e-mail attachment yesterday. They look good.
Unfortunately I don't have a real scan-version of them yet, and therefore can't upload and show them here.
Posted May 7
Latest two updates on the site of the Namche Youth Group, saying
07 May 2006 No details at all found in Namche Lodges or at Jorsalle. At this stage we think that confirmation that kristina did actually fly into Luckla is important and especially the date. Her movements in Khumbu can then be more acurately guessed at. There has not been a detailed search of the lodge books beyond Namche at this stage but the NYG is meeting today to discuss this.
06 May 2006 Still no records found in any of the lodge books and no record was found of her entering the park at Jorsalle. Have advised Family to try to confirm what day and airline she flew to Luckla on. NYG was also able to confirm that no person using the name of Krystina Kovacevic has flown OUT of LUCKLA on Yeti, Sita or Ghorka airlines. Family members reportedly intend flying to Kathmandu to begin search from there next week.
Posted May 6
From an auto-reply sent by Silke's e-mailaccount. The reply is in German and translates to:quote:
Information re. the whereabouts of Kristina is please sent by you to karolin@sinkenken.de or daggi@sinkenken.de
Donations to help cover the expenses of the search that will also, by the family, start in Nepal as of May 12, are gladly being welcomed by Kristina's sister Karolin Stallcup in the bankaccount 1000189676 BLZ 61050000 KSK Göppingen (Germany).
Thank you.
Silke
Posted May 5
David Donaldson, not in Nepal but main contact re. the Trekker Intention Books, reported difficulties with information coming out of Namche. The TIB & NYG-project apparently not yet working as intended. But he is very much "on the case".
For your information: people like David Koch and also Christiane Haupt (the close friend of Sabine Grüneklee) are naturally in direct contact with Karolin and Silke as well, giving them tips and advice from their own experience.
Silke mailed to say that yesterday she and Karolin went to Kristina's hometown in Germany, where now a special police officer is working full-time on Kristina's "case". This officer naturally received advice from his colleagues at the Kripo in Munich who - sadly - have recent experience with official contacts and requirements, and with carrying out searches for a missing German national inside Nepal.
Also, Lufthansa (Kristina's employer) offered flighttickets to her sister Karolin and to the person who will accompany her to Nepal in a few days from now. And since there are no major funds available (yet) to start a thorough search on the ground, relatives and friends of Kristina Kovacevic have successfully started donations/fundraising activities among themselves.
Meanwhile in the discussion on "Trekkingforum" people are trying to interpret Kristina's trekkingplans, based on the scarce information she wrote in only a few e-mails earlier in March. Where did she have in mind to go, while telling of her desire to do a real "lonely" trek, that could last approx. 30 days? Did she indeed attempt to go to Gorak Shep, or what were the other options starting from Namche?
Posted May 4
Silke told me yesterday that she is pleased that in the meantime they are getting help, support and advice "from all over the world". So that is very good to know.
Manfred, on Nepalboard.de, is helping with the preparations for a thorough search and says that they'd like to know as much details as possible about the weather conditions in several parts of the Khumbu since the 10th of March.
Manfred also says that in 2 days from now, at the internetcafé of "All-Export" there will be FLYERS available with photo and information about Kristina. He is calling on all trekkers who'll be going to the Khumbu to come and pick up as many flyers as they want. Then they can hand them out and put them up along the trails. The All Export internetcafé being situated in Thamel in the Chhetrapati near Potala Guesthouse and Tibet Guesthouse.
Stilltrekkin, regular Thorn Tree-contributor gave her opinion about the complexity of the situation in a.o. these words:
quote:
One concern that I have was Kristina's plan to leave Namche on March 14 and return by March 20.That is really pushing the safety limits in terms of acclimatization to Gorak Shep/Kala Pattar. The normal stopping points above Namche would be Tenboche (14), followed by 2 nights at Periche (15 & 16), Lobuche (17) and the earliest arrival at Gorak Shep (18). Then if she was tempted to try for Everest Base Camp which is a reasonable assumption given her apparent adventurous spirit (19th) and she would need 3 days to get back down to Namche.
Given the very heavy wet snow falls that have been all along the main Himalayan Range from Kanchenjunga in the east to Dhaulagiri in the West - this would raise the risks and also increase the time required to walk the distance.
I have been in this area during heavy spring snowfalls - and it is very easy to wander off the route - the trails get totally obliterated. Landmarks don't look the same and visibility can be very, very bad. This is particularly true on the route above Periche and beyond Lobuche. On the rocky glacial morraine above Lobuche on the way to Gorak Shep, it is very difficult even for local people to find the route in heavy snow and I have seen them turn back because of the danger in continuing. Being able to find your way in those conditions can be absolutely impossible at times, no matter how experienced you are.
[. . .]
If Kristina's family has not already done so, it might also be worthwhile to contact the Himalayan Rescue Association in Kathmandu. They have a medical clinic at Periche that runs an education program on AMS and treats trekkers with various ills that arrive at this high altitude village...perhaps Kristina would have been at one of their presentations - they keep a record book of all attendees and patients.
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Press untill May 17 (for more recent press, see down below)
THE HIMALAYAN TIMES - May 3
German Trekker Missing in Khumbu Region
THT Online
Kathmandu, May 3
A German trekker Kristina Kovacevic, 41 has been missing from Khumbu region since mid March. Kristina sent her last email from Namche on 13th March 2006 and has not been heard from since. She had planned to return to Namche on 20th March. Anybody having any information on Kristina is requested to contact her sister Karolin - dragon1314@yahoo.com, her friend Silke - Silke@sinkenken.de or the German Embassy in Kathmandu at 4416899.
This is the third incident in recent times when a tourist has gone missing in Nepal. Earlier French national Celine Henry and German Sabine Grunekele had disappeared last year and have not been heard from since.
COPYRIGHT 2004 THE HIMALAYAN TIMES
KERALA NEXT.COM - May 4 "Another woman trekker goes missing in Nepal"
THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, National, "ONCE OVER" - May 4 "German lady missing"
THE HINDUSTAN TIMES - May 4
Woman trekker goes missing in Nepal
quote:
A German trekker has gone missing in Nepal, the third woman tourist to have disappeared in seven months.
Kristina Kovacevic, a burly 41-year-old accustomed to travelling on her own, had headed towards the Khumbu region in northern Nepal, considered the gateway to the Everest region, in March.
Her family, while accustomed to her long disappearances in the course of her travels around the world, became alarmed when she did not turn up at Bali in Indonesia in April as she had planned with her friends.
Kristina last sent an e-mail to her friends March 13 from Namche Bazar in Kumbhu. Her sister Karolin and a friend are now asking trekkers in the area whether they came across Kristina.
From January to April, Nepal had remained virtually paralysed as anti-government protests erupted countrywide.
The Opposition parties called an indefinite closure to press for the ouster of King Gyanendra's government and the royal regime retaliated by imposing curfew.
The disruptions made it even more difficult for Kristina's family to organise a search for her.
NEW KERALA.COM - May 4 "Another woman trekker goes missing in Nepal"
DAILY INDIA.COM - May 4 "Another woman trekker goes missing in Nepal"
Ev-K2-CNR Committee - May 4 "German Trekker Missing in Khumbu Region"
Deutsche Touristin in Nepal vermisst - YAHOO Nachrichten, May 4.
Deutsche Touristin in Nepal vermisst – BKZ Online, May 4.
Nepal: Deutsche Urlauberin vermisst - Focus.MSN.de , May 4
quote:
Eine deutsche Touristin wird nach einem Bericht der englischsprachigen Tageszeitung „Himalayan Times“ in Nepal vermisst.
Das Blatt berichtete am Donnerstag, dass die letzte Nachricht der Frau vom 13. März stammt. An diesem Tag habe die 41-Jährige noch E-Mails verschickt, sie habe sich dem Bericht zufolge rund 160 Kilometer nordöstlich der Hauptstadt Kathmandu aufgehalten. Unklar sei, ob sie allein auf einer Trekking-Route in der Region des Mount Everests unterwegs sei oder sich einer Gruppe angeschlossen habe. Nähere Angaben über die Identität der Vermissten wurden nicht gemacht.
Die Familie der Touristin sei alarmiert gewesen, nachdem die 41-Jährige nicht wie geplant im April auf der indonesischen Insel Bali ankam. Ein Vertreter der Polizei sagte: „Wir wissen nicht, ob die Frau verschwunden ist.“ Wegen der politischen Unruhen in Nepal in den vergangenen Wochen könne es für die Touristin schwierig gewesen sein, per E-Mail zu kommunizieren. Nun müssten die Ermittlungen der Polizei abgewartet werden.
th/dpa
Deutsche Touristin in Nepal vermisst - Heidenheimer Zeitung 04.05.2006
Deutsche Touristin in Nepal vermisst - Baden Online, May 4
Deutsche Touristin in Nepal vermisst – Tourismus Notfälle in Nepal – Merkur Online, May 4
Newsclick.de – "Deutsche Touristin in Nepal vermisst", newsclick.de - 4. Mai 2006
Kathmandu (dpa) - Eine deutsche Touristin wird nach einem Bericht der englischsprachigen Tageszeitung «Himalayan Times» in Nepal vermisst. ... (news ticker, link already expired)
Deutsche Touristin in Nepal vermisst - Reutlinger General-Anzeiger (Registration), May 4
FREUNDE NEPAL's - undatedquote:
Wieder allein reisende deutsche Rucksack-Touristin in Nepal verschwunden
Kristina Kovacevic, 41 J., 1,62 m, ist seit Mitte März im Khumbu Gebiet verschollen.
Weitere Informationen hier.
and at least another 20 to 30 local and regional online German media published the news on May 4
SOUTH ASIAN MEDIA.NET - May 5 "Woman trekker goes missing in Nepal"
SOUTH ASIA WOMAN.COM - May 6; links to the May 4 article in The Hindustan Times
NEPAL NEWS.NET - May 5; linked to the publication on KeralaNext.com
PHOTOS VOYAGES.COM published the news as well
WEBLOG NEPAL - May 5 linked to The Hindustan Times and Daily India.com
NEWS FROM INDIA - WHERE IN CITY.COM - May 5 "Another woman trekker goes missing in Nepal"
GLOBAL GEOPOLITICS.NET - May 4 linked to the Hindustan Times article
NEPAL NEWS.COM - May 14 "German lady missing in Everest region for two months; no rescue bid yet"
quote:
Caroline also complained about the behavior of the officials at the DoI when she went there yesterday, seeking help for the rescue of her sister. She said that when she asked to exempt the rescue team of permit fee charged at the Monzo checkpoint, as the rescuers will have to travel to and fro the checkpoint, the director at the DoI rather asked her to contact the Nepal Police, Royal Nepalese Army or the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, who could be in better position to help her.
To her dismay, not only the Nepalese government officials but also the German Embassy in Kathmandu is showing reluctance in helping Caroline find her missing sister. According to her, the German Embassy officials said the matter could be better handled by the Interpol.
German Embassy, she maintains, is obliged to help her in the rescue operation according to the German laws. “My sister is not a criminal to be handled by the Interpol,” she lamented. If the embassy denies help she would take the case to the highest political authority in Germany, she warned.
THE KATHMANDU POST - May 14 "Sister initiates search for disappeared backpacker"
THE HIMALAYAN TIMES - May 15 "Search for Missing German Trekker to Intensify"
NEW KERALA.COM - May 15 "Missing Lufthansa staffer's sister begins Everest hunt"
See also INDIA E-NEWS.COM and DAILY INDIA.COM
NEPAL NEWS.COM - May 16 "Lack of information hinders rescue bid of German national"
NEW KERALA.COM - May 16 "German woman begins quest to find sister"
See also INDIA eNEWS.COM and DAILY INDIA.COM
FOCUS MSN.DE - May 16 "Suche nach vermisster Urlauberin"
MOUNTEVEREST.NET - May 16 "Missing Khumbu trekker: Have you seen Kristina?"
MORE PRESS-LINKS DOWN BELOW
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daviko
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Re: Nepal: KRISTINA KOVACEVIC (13 March 2006, Namche Bazaar)
Thanks Mieke for updating the site in relation to Kristina. Just to let you know that I have written to Karolin and have given her the details of our contact in Nepal.
One small point is that the NYG refer to Kristina as Krystina. This is only a minor detail but from past experience all the small details must be correct to ensure that no mistakes happen when checking forms, documents etc.
David.
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effective communications ; online maps
Dear David,
You're right of course to focus on the (mis)spelling of Kristina's name. In Nepal there are so many versions already re. the spelling of the name of a town, village, road, district, (foreign) person; plus the fact they have their own script and their own calendar.
I don't know if this was a repeated typo. Notice how in other places on the NYG site that were posted earlier, her name is spelled "Kristina". Maybe Dave had a reason for altering the spelling in his latest updates there?
I sincerely hope that you are glad to see that – due to Dave and Don's initiative with the Trekker Intention Books - the involvement and efforts presently of the Namche Youth Group dó lead to results indeed and pretty fast.
Even though the books obviously need further promotion: who else but the NYG would have managed to call for a meeting of áll the lodge owners of Namche Bazaar, to show them photos and discuss the details, situation and problems? The most direct and effective way, in my idea, to investigate where the heck Kristina could have stayed while in Namche, and whether or not she ever stayed in a lodge there at all. No Ministry, not the Nepal Tourism Board, not the TAAN, no foreign Embassy ever managed to do just that! It's this type of cooperation over there at present, that deserves our attention, support and gratitude.
And YES: it should all have existed yéars ago already, that "network"...
Naturally we are all aware that lately the people of Nepal seem to have started efforts to truly "move entire mountains" where the future of their country is concerned. Next to the need now to find back poor Kristina, let us hope that somehow, some day, the transformation in governance and mentality that many are desperately hoping for, will also lead to "the surfacing" of new facts and solid information regarding Gareth's mysterious disappearance early March 2004.
~ ~ ~
Two examples of online maps for those not too familiar with the region.
Click link, then click to enlarge.
map of (Solu)Khumbu, from Gareth's website
another map, bigger area, less detailed Original source for the last map: Elite Nepal.com
edited 30.05 to include links to both maps here
Last edited by mieke, 30/5/06, 14:46
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Press ON/AFTER May 17
BADEN-ONLINE.DE quote:
In Nepal seit zwei Monaten verschollene Deutsche ist tot
17.05.2006 - Kathmandu (dpa) - Die seit zwei Monaten im Himalaya verschollene deutsche Touristin Kristina Kovacevic ist tot.
Ihre Leiche wurde in einer Schlucht in der Region um den Mount Everest gefunden. Sie soll nun in die nepalesische Hauptstadt Kathmandu übergeführt und dann weiter nach Deutschland geflogen werden. Zuletzt hatte die Schwester der 41-Jährigen vor Ort nach ihr gesucht. Das letzte Lebenszeichen war eine vom Fuße des Mount Everest gesendete E-Mail von Mitte März. Kristina Kovacevic galt als erfahrene Trekkerin.
Similar reports - online - in the Trostberger Tagblatt, Merkur Online.de, BKZ Online, the Reutlinger General Anzeiger and many, many, many more.
STUTTGARTER NACHRICHTEN ONLINE - May 18, "Nepal - Vermisste aus Neckartenzlingen ist tot"
SPIEGEL ONLINE - May 18, "Himalaya: Verschollene Deutsche ist tot"
KöLNER STADT ANZEIGER - May 18, "In Nepal vermisste Deutsche ist tot"
JETZT SUEDDEUTSCHE.DE - May 18, "Trekkingreise ohne Wiederkehr"
Stuttgarter Zeitung - May 19, "Tod im Himalaja" (requires subscription)
NUERTINGER ZEITUNG ONLINE - May 18, "Neckartenzlingerin im Himalaya vermisst"
NUERTINGER ZEITUNG ONLINE - May 19, "Traurige Gewissheit: der Tod wartete im Himalaya"
THE HIMALAYAN TIMES - May 22, "Missing German Trekker Found Dead In Nepal"
NEW KERALA.COM - May 22, "Missing German trekker found dead in Nepal"
NEPAL NEWS.COM - May 22, "Missing German trekker found dead"
NEPAL HUMAN RIGHTS NEWS.COM - May 23, "Missing German Found Dead at Everest Region in Nepal"
PEOPLE'S DAILY ONLINE - May 23, "Missing German trekker found dead in Nepal"
Last edited by mieke, 30/5/06, 15:29
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( Travel ) webforums: appeals for information
German
Kristina Kovacevic wird vermisst (Konsulate.de discussionforum - 3 May)
SOS VERMISST Kristina Kovacevic (Trekkingforum.com, 27 April)
Deutsche Trekkerin Kristina vermisst (Nepalboard.de, 28 April)
Vermisste Kristina - neue Bilder (Nepalboard.de, 30 April)
Suche nach Kristina (Nepalboard.de, 4 May)
vermisste Kristina (Nepalboard.de, 8 May)
Spendenaufruf fuer Suchaktion Kristina Kovacevic - so geht es weiter (Nepalboard.de, 10 May)
Die deutsche Kristina Kovacevic im Everestgebiet vermisst (Himalaya-forum.de, 10 May)
Kristina Kovacevic leider tot gefunden (Nepalboard.de, 18 May)
Pressekonferenz am 20.5 zu unserer Suchaktion von Kristina (Nepalboard.de, 19 May)
KRISTINA'S TREK VON JIRI BIS DOLE: EINE REKONSTRUKTION Trekkingforum.com, 19th of May
English
missing german Lady Kristina (YetiZone.com, 28 April)
missing Kristina help required (YetiZone.com, 30 April)
Nepal Khumbu: female German trekker missing! (Thorn Tree, 4 May)
Plus appeals in the "Missing travellers" thread on TT
and in a long one about travel and safety in Nepal.
German Kristina missing in the Everest region (Trekinfo.com, 9 May)
missing Kristina Kovacevic (YetiZone.com, 9 May)
Missing Khumbu trekker: Have YOU seen Kristina? (Thorn Tree, 17 May)
Trekking Alone in The Mountains (YetiZone, 20 May)
NEPAL Khumbu, March: missing trekker found dead (UK Climbing, May 23)
Dutch
TREKKER VERMIST ! (Khumbu, 13 maart) (Nepal.pagina.nl Prikbord, 10 May)
For Mieke about the trail at Dole (in Dutch - Nepal Prikbord May 18)
Kristina (in Dutch - Nepal Prikbord May 18)
French
Kristina d' Allemagne a disparu en mars 2006 au Khumbu (Forum Tour du Monde.be May 10)
The blog for missing Céline Henry also pays attention to the disappearance now of Kristina:
Nouvelle disparition d'une touriste au Népal by quoting the Himalayan Times publication of May 3.
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