A jeep accident took place in Bajura's Bikat Himali rural municipality at 8:30 am on Thursday morning. Out of the 21 people in the jeep, three died on the spot and 18 were injured. It took 8 hours to find a helicopter to rescue seven seriously injured people in a jeep accident in Kudi, Bajura.

As the condition of seven of them was serious, there was a need to take them to a well-equipped health facility as soon as possible.

After the accident happened about an hour and a half away from the center of the rural municipality, officials of the rural municipality were mobilized and rescue efforts started. 10 people were taken to Kolti Hospital in Budhinanda Municipality. Attempts were made to bring the remaining seven seriously injured people to Tithichaur, about an hour away, by helicopter for further treatment.

Dhansingh Rokaya, Ransur Sunar, Bir Bahadur Budha, Bazhalal Rokaya, Raj Bahadur Budhatapa, Surendra Shahi of Tajakot Rural Municipality of Humla and the driver Gauri Budha, 23, who were taken to Tithichaur were seriously injured. The conclusion of the local health workers was that they should be airlifted to a well-equipped hospital.

Village Chairman Govinda Bahadur Malla was in Kathmandu at the time of the incident. He requested the Home Minister to arrange air rescue as soon as he got the news of the road accident. In addition, he applied to the Nepali Army in Surkhet for a helicopter, but there was no hearing. 

Bajura accident: unpaved dirt road, 21 passengers in a pick-up van with a capacity of 5 people

After the home minister's direct meeting, chairman Malla and chief administrative officer Raj Bahadur Malla explained the situation and problems of the injured. According to Chairman Malla, the Minister of Home Affairs, Ramesh Lakhtar, replied that no assistance including air rescue can be provided by the government in cases other than catastrophic accidents. On the other hand, the Surkhet-based army was replying that 'helicopters cannot be sent in case of lack of funds'. Chief District Officer Meghnath Padhya's initiative towards the Ministry of Home Affairs was also fruitless.

When the helicopter was taking off, seven hours had passed and it was two o'clock in the afternoon. The injured were scattered in Tithichaur, officials including the village chairman were on the lookout for air rescue. However, arrangements could not be made. Finally, the rural municipality decided to bear the cost of the helicopter from its own resources and sent written information to the district administration office. Based on this, the Administration Office requested the Home Ministry to send a military helicopter. Then, at about three o'clock in the afternoon, a helicopter of the Nepalese army came from Surkhet.

Chairman Malla informed that after the rural municipality took the responsibility of paying the rent of Rs.

However, President Malla says that no attention has been paid to the treatment on behalf of the government. "An employee of our municipality who is in the police service is coordinating the treatment," he said, "Government needs to have a clear policy on rescue after such road accidents in the village." District Police Office, Bajura said that 76-year-old Bijaura Rokaya, 75-year-old Bazhakala Rokaya and 35-year-old Juneli Rokaya were killed in an accident in a jeep number Ba 3 P 001 J 0338 coming from Kuda to Kawadi.