National
Secretary, his relative die in jeep plunge
Secretary at the Ministry of Irrigation Ramananda Prasad Yadav and a relative died when a Scorpio jeep swerved off the road and plunged into the Trishuli river at Salanghat along the Prithvi Highway in the wee hours of Saturday.Harihar Singh Rathour
Secretary at the Ministry of Irrigation Ramananda Prasad Yadav and a relative died when a Scorpio jeep swerved off the road and plunged into the Trishuli river at Salanghat along the Prithvi Highway in the wee hours of Saturday.
The Kathmandu-bound vehicle (Ba 1 Jha 3140) broke a roadside barrier and
fell about 40 metres into the river at around 2:45am. Ramananda was driving the vehicle when the incident happened. His son Santosh, 22, who was on the vehicle when it dived, has yet
to be traced.
Ramananda, 57, and his relative Unnati Gupta, 15, were killed in the crash, said police. Jeep driver Niranjan Yadav, who was in the back seat, survived the accident. People of Majhigaun rescued him as he cried for help some 100 metres downstream. Niranjan was rushed to Malekhu Hospital for treatment. The jeep got submerged in the river about 10 metres deep at the site. Personnel from the Nepal Army, Nepal Police and divers from the Armed Police Force (APF)’s Disaster Management Training Centre in Kurintar had reached the site for rescue.
Ramananda’s body was in the driver’s seat. Unnati’s body was also found inside the vehicle when it was pulled out. Rescuers are yet to find Santosh.
APF diver Tirtharaj Chapain got unconscious under water as he was involved in the rescue mission. He was rescued by fellow divers. Ramananda was returning to Kathmandu from his home at Krishnanagar Munici-pality-9 in Kapilvastu after arranging for the wedding of his daughter Dr Ranjana.
Irrigation Minister Sanjaya Gautam and
State Minister Amar Pun reached the incident site on Saturday to enquire about the accident.