Search continues for 11 missing in Trishuli

CHITWAN: Search for those who went missing in the Trishuli river, following the Monday’s micro-bus accident is underway on Wednesday as well.

Eleven people are still missing in the river. The accident occurred when a micro-bus (Ba.2 Kha. 2598) was heading towards Kathmandu from Narayagadh fell into the river at Darechowk-9 along the Prithivi Highway on Monday, the day of Bijaya Dashami.

Those missing are Jhalak Prasad Dhakal, 39, Nimesh Dhakal, 5, Avash Dhakal, 10, and Samjhana Dhakal of Bharatpur Municipality-6. They belong to a same family. Similarly, Lok Bahadur Baniya, 48, Apsara Baniya, 17, and Chanda Baniya,19 of a single family from Benighat-8, Dhading are also missing, according to the District Police Office, Chitwan.

A mother and daughter have also gone missing in the river. They are Sabina Poudel, 32, of Mangalpur and her daughter Reshma Poudel, 12.

Mahila Pariyar, 27, of Kewalpur, Dhading is another victim whereas address of the eleventh victim Parbati Tiwari is yet to be ascertained.

An Armed Police Force (APF) squad from Kurintar-based Disaster Management Training Center is searching for the missing with the help of locals.

Two people including an Australian woman tourist had died and nine injured in the accident.

APF personnel Bhupendra Poudel, Sunita Dhakal, 35, of Bharatpur-12, Khemlal Gurung of around 35 years of age, a man of around 40 years of age from Gaidakot-8, Dinesh Tiwari, 12, from Taklung-3, Gorkha, micro- bus helper Kapil Pandey,16, of Naubise-4, Dhading are among those hurt in the accident, the office said.

Of the injured, one has already returned to home after treatment and condition of a man with Gurung surname is critical. The injured are undergoing treatment at the Bharatpur-based College of Medical Sciences. The bodies of deceased have been kept in the Bharatpur Hospital. A total of 21 passengers were onboard the microbus, the police said.