Rolpa Jeep accident: The identities of the dead revealed, Talabang is in mourning

On the way from Ghartigaon in Rolpa to Talabang, the force jeep numbered Lu 1 J 3252 under the section of Ghartigaon-Talabang road fell 400 meters below the road near Pareva Chahar.

Among the dead are 4 women, 2 men and 1 child. Police identified them till midnight. The deceased include 77-year-old Khadak Bahadur Dangi of Madi Rural Municipality-3, 30-year-old Amrita Ghartimar, her daughter 18-month-old unnamed girl, 33-year-old Junumaya Khadka, 32-year-old Ramkali Pun of Pariwartan Rural Municipality-Rangsi, 70-year-old Jhuplal Dangi of Madi-3, Madi- 50-year-old Karma Ghartimagar of Dhanthana, 3. Jhuplal and Khadak Bahadur are brothers. Amrita and her 18-month-old daughter also died. Hitler, the 3-year-old son of deceased Junumaya, is seriously injured.

One person has been discharged from Rolpa Hospital after treatment of the injured in the accident. Among those discharged is 40-year-old Dilkumari Ghartimagar of Madi-3. His right leg is injured but his condition is normal. 37-year-old Khagendra Bantha of Madi-3, who was injured in the same accident, is being treated at the hospital under the supervision of a doctor. Rolpa Jaljala Transport Pvt. Ltd.'s jeep No. 1 J 3252 is completely damaged after the accident.

6 seriously injured people have been referred to a hospital in Butwal for further treatment. Among those referred are Deepak Thapa, 45 years old of Parivartan-6, the driver of the jeep, Hitler Khadka, a 3-year-old boy of Madi-2, 60-year-old Karma Budha Magar of Madi-3, 42-year-old Barmali Ghartimagar, 13-year-old Pratibha Budhamagar and 52-year-old Nainsingh Punamagar of Gangadev-7. Chief District Officer Khim Bahadur Rayamazhi said that they were sent to Butwal on Monday night.

Rolpa police chief DSP Bharat Lama said that the accident happened due to a landslide. Informing about the cause of the accident, he said that the jeep met with an accident while trying to avoid the landslide that had already fallen from the road during the rainy season. "When the driver of the jeep tried to avoid a landslide and move on from a higher part, the jeep moved backwards and fell down the slippery road," he said.

Passenger Dilkukari Ghartimagar, who was the only eyewitness to the accident, said that even when the driver tried to save the jeep, he could not. The 40-year-old woman from Madi-3 tried to get behind the jeep and was saved by jumping. Alhan, the jeep from Talabang left Ghartigaon in the afternoon towards Talabang at 4 o'clock. About an hour later, the police said that the jeep met with an accident.

Village in mourning

Talabang is in mourning after 7 people from the same village died in a jeep accident. There is more pain after the death of 2 more relatives. Local Jyoti Dangi says, "My two grandfathers died in the accident. Accidentally driving a car on a journey is a weakness of transport businessmen and car lenders.'

Locals are very angry about the delay in reaching the police for rescue after the accident. Local teacher Sher Bahadur Dangi says, 'After the accident, we immediately informed the police. But it took two hours for the police to arrive. Even after we rescued the injured, the police did not reach the spot.'' He asked, "The police replied that we wear clothes or what do we do." Should the police prepare to arrive at a place where there is a fight?'

When the police did not reach the scene, there was also a problem in getting information. Locals rescued the injured before the police arrived at the accident site, so it was very difficult to ascertain the number of passengers, dead and injured.