Darchula, Nov. 15 -- year-old Bindra Budha of Tinkar, a village in ward 1 of Byas Rural Municipality in Darchula district, returned home after spending nearly three months in Taklakot, across the border in Tibet. Three days later, she developed a sudden, severe headache and began feeling dizzy.

As her condition worsened, her family sought help from other villagers. Several young men gathered and set off carrying her on a stretcher, hoping to reach the nearest road in India. But after nearly seven hours on foot, they had yet to get her there. Bindra died before they could reach the road.

Her family never learned what had caused her illness.

"There is no health post in the village, and without one, there are no health workers either," sa...