Victims' kin search for bodies

BIBHU BHUSAL

POKHARA: Krishna Tamang of Kaski’s Sardikhola VDC today went to the Western Zonal Regional Hospital mortuary in search of his brother Man Dhowj Tamang (52) who was swept away by sudden flash flood in Seti River on Saturday. He, however, could not identify his brother’s body.

Similarly Krishna searched for his brother Man Dhowj, a flood vicitim, in the hospital but returned in vain. Dhowj was swept away by the flood when he was sitting at a local tea shop. He used to work in the sand mine in Kharapani.

Likewise, Maya Tamang of Bhurungkhola also reached the hospital early morning in search of her niece-in-law. She could not identify her and returned empty hands.

In the same way, Chet Bahadur Thapa’s brother-in-law Mahendra Bahadur KC was also wandering on the hospital premises the whole day but returned empty hands. Chet Bahadur was the student of the La Grandee College who also became the victim of the flash flood.

Shree Ram Jaisi (14) of Sardikhola was also swept away in the flood when he was buying meat in a local shop. His relatives searched him for three days but could not get the glimpse of him. Like others, they too reached the Western Zonal Regional Hospital mortuary. Jaisi’s sister Man Maya told THT, “I have seen few bodies, but I am not sure which one would be my brother’s.”

In some strange instances, a corpse was claimed by two different groups of people. Tritha Kumari Chhantyal’s dead body was claimed by two groups, but finally her actual relatives identified after spotting a birth mark on her feet.

Meanwhile, there was intolerably bad smell in the hospital as the dead bodies have been kept since three days.