Surkhet, December 26, 2007

The body of one more victim, Bhawisara Gharti of Kaprichaur-2 VDC, of the bridge disaster over Bheri River was found today.

Yesterday, the bodies of 15 persons were fished out. Teams of the Nepal Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police and the Maoist People’s Liberation Army are still searching for the missing persons, said Surkhet deputy inspector of general of police Bharat GC, adding that locals are assisting in the search.

Army divers are working round the clock, said DIG GC, adding that spotters have been deployed at all the main points of the riverbank. Four of killed have been identified as Kalpana Sunar, 18, of Gumi VDC 6, Thakendra Oli, 6, of Dharapani VDC 2, Meena Khatri, 8, of Saharey VDC 3, and Bishal BK, 8, of Dahchaur VDC 8. Adjoining villages and schools have declared today a day of mourning, said headmaster Jeevan Sharma of Sharda secondary school at Chinku.

Leaders of all political parties, government and non-government organisations have conveyed their condolences to the bereaved families. Surkhet regional hospital superintendent Dr Hari Sapkota said five of the injured — Durg Bahadur BK, Pampha BK, Ganga Sharma Poudel, Dhan Bahadur Budha and Deepak Pun — were today airlifted to Kathmandu for treatment.

Twenty-five persons returned after treatment while the rest are still in hospital, said Dr Sapkota. Chief district officer Anil Kumar Pandey said the government would bear all the expenses of the injured persons’ treatment.

Clash in City eatery causes student’s death

Kathmandu, December 26, 2007

A student of the Pashupati Multiple Campus (PMC) died and two persons were injured in a clash with bouncers of Putalisadak-based Diamond Dance Restaurant last night. Police said Mandip Thapa Magar, 23, of Okhaldhunga, died on the way to Bir hospital.

Prem Moktan and Sundar Magar of Morang were injured in the incident, police said, adding that Magar is in a critical condition. Protesting the incident, PMC students launched an agitation at 9 am today.

They burnt tyres and smashed windowpanes and glasses of the restaurant. Police fired over half a dozen teargas cells in the afternoon to quell the agitating students.

Vehicular movement on the Putalisadak route was also affected. Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, who was coming from the airport, was also caught in the traffic jam. Former president of the Free Students’ Union of the PMC Kundan Raj Kafle said some persons attacked the NSU cadres with rods when they entered the restaurant last night to look for their lost mobile phone sets.

“It was a planned attack,” Kafle claimed. Kafle said the students called off their agitation in the evening after party leaders of Okhaldhunga, including Mandip’s father, held talks with police officers.