Nepali and Mongolian athletes go missing

BUSAN, South Korea: Eight Nepalese athletes and one Mongolian have gone missing from the Asian Games, officials said on Friday.

Officials from the Nepali delegation said the athletes, here to compete in the boxing, judo, weightlifting and shooting events, left the athletes village Thursday night and have not returned.

"They left last night and haven't come back. We don't know where they are or what's happened to them," an official said, adding that the missing included one woman.

Local reports said police feared they were planning to remain in the country illegally.

Separately, a female canoeist from Mongolia left Busan for Seoul on Tuesday to catch a plane home, but has vanished.

"We are in the process of trying to find her," said an official at the athletes village control room.--AFP