A court decision confirms EliteExped will have to pay compensation to the owner of their former headquarters in Kathmandu, destroyed by fire in 2022, according to The Himalayan Times.
On September 21 of that year, explosions were heard at 6:30 pm. A violent fire quickly engulfed the building in the Kapan district, killing three people who were inside: Ashok Wenjha Rai, Karsang Tenjing Sherpa, and Tsewang Sherpa. The house was destroyed.
Stored gas exploded
Elite Exped, jointly owned by Nirmal Purja, Mingma David Sherpa, and Mingma Tenji Sherpa, had a rental contract for the place since 2020. Six months after the fire, the building’s owner, Tanka Bahadur Ghising, asked for compensation. He alleged that the “unauthorized storage of LPG [stove fuel] and oxygen cylinders” caused the explosion and subsequent fire, The Himalayan Times reported.
“I had rented them a floor for Rs 30,000 [$207] per month to run their office, but they had clandestinely stored LPG and oxygen cylinders there,” Ghising claimed at the time.
Elite Exped’s headquarters engulfed by fire. Photo: Rainyka Khadka/Instagram
The District Court ordered EliteExped to pay Rs 11,300,000 ($78,359) to Gishing. The outfitter’s lawyers appealed the decision to the High Court, arguing that Elite Exped should not be liable for the compensation.
Damages
Now, the Patan High Court has decided to uphold the previous sentence and has ordered EliteExped to pay for damages.
“With this decision, the High Court has established a judicial principle: Even if a homeowner receives insurance compensation, the party at fault is not exempt from paying damages for their wrongful act,” The Himalayan Times reported.
Asked by ExplorersWeb, a spokesperson for Elite Exped said: “We will be taking this case forward to the Supreme Court.”
