• NSU leader Meera Katuwal’s leg blown off in explosion
• Fourth blast in district in five days

Gaighat, November 29 At least four persons, including Nepali Congress Udayapur-2 parliamentary polls candidate Narayan Bahadur Karki, were injured when a vehicle they were on board was ambushed at Danuwarbeshi of Udayapurgadi Rural Municipality, in Udayapur this morning. The vehicle carrying Karki, along with others, was en route to Nepaltar Bazaar of Udayapurgadi, where an election rally was to be held. However, it was ambushed at around 10:00am. Karki sustained critical injuries on his head, body and legs, Nepal Student Union Udayashree Campus Katari Unit President Meera Katuwal lost her left leg in the ambush, while driver Rajan Karki and local Dhanamaya Dhaulakoti also sustained critical injuries. According to an eyewitness, the Bolero vehicle that was carrying Karki and others flew some 10 metres off the ground. Naba Raj Poudel, who was sitting next to the driver, escaped with minor injuries. He said he didn’t know what hit them. Narayan Karki had returned to Katari yesterday after completing door-to-door election campaign in the hilly areas of the constituency. Chief District Officer Chandra Man Shrestha said Karki and Katuwal were airlifted to Kathmandu at around 1:00pm today. No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the blast. “Security has been tightened and search for miscreants is under way,” said CDO Shrestha. This is the fourth blast incident targeting poll candidates in Udayapur district. On Tuesday, an explosive went off at the house of Udayapur-1 provincial assembly kha candidate from NC Himal Karki. Later in the evening yesterday, an explosive went off at Babari Bagar of Triyuga Municipality, targeting Nepali Congress Udayapur-1 parliamentary poll candidate Narayan Khadka. Four days ago, a blast had targeted left alliance Udayapur-2 parliamentary poll candidate Suresh Rai. CDO Shrestha said a large number of security personnel had been deployed after explosion in the district. Police suspected that Netra Bikram Chand-led CPN was behind the explosion. Meanwhile, Karki and Katuwal have been admitted to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital for further treatment. They were ferried in a Nepal Army’s helicopter. The NC stated that Karki’s finger and Katuwal’s leg were blown off in the explosion. The vehicle carrying them was completely destroyed. Three of the injured — two security personnel and driver, who sustained minor injuries — are receiving treatment at a local hospital. Two others, who were in the same vehicle, escaped without any injury. The incident site is at a distance of 47 kilometres from Gaighat, the district headquarters. (UPDATED) GAIGHAT: As many as six persons including a Nepali Congress candidate for House of Representatives elections from Udayapur Constituency No. 2 were injured when a  vehicle they were travelling on was ambushed in Gadhimai Rural Municipality-6 of Udayapur district on Wednesday morning. Three of the injured are said to have sustained minor injuries. The critically injured have been identified as the NC candidate Narayan Karki, the party cadres Meera Katuwal and driver Rajan Karki. Katuwal is said to have lost one of her legs in the ambush that exploded targeting the NC cadres, at around 10:30 am today, set up by an unidentified group, according to a journalist Nawaraj Paudel who also sustained minor injuries. Others with minor injuries have been identified as NC candidate Karki's bodyguard Head Constable Krishna Shrestha and the party cadre Krishna Thapa. The critically injured have been airlifted by a helicopter to a heath institution in Kathmandu. The NC candidate Karki along with the party cadres was heading to take part in an election gathering by a Bolero jeep (Ba 15 Cha 7806) in Nepaltar in the district when the incident occurred. It has been learned that the vehicle has been wrecked by the explosion. NC central member Badri Pandey has reached the incident site for inspection. Meanwhile, the investigation into the incident is underway. The incident site is at a distance of 47 kilometres from Gaighat, the district headquarters. (UPDATED) 6 injured in Udayapur ambush; NC candidate Narayan Karki critical GAIGHAT: As many as six persons including a Nepali Congress candidate for House of Representatives elections from Udayapur Constituency No. 2 were injured in an ambush laid in Gadhimai Rural Municipality-6 of Udayapur district on Wednesday morning. Three of the injured are said to be have sustained minor injuries. The critically injured have been identified as the NC candidate Narayan Karki, the party cadres Meera Katuwal and Rajan Karki. Katuwal is said to have lost one of her legs in the ambush that exploded targeting the NC cadres, at around 10:30 am today, set up by an unidentified group, according to a journalist Nawaraj Paudel who also sustained minor injuries. Others with minor injuries have been identified as NC candidate Karki's bodyguard Head Constable Krishna Shrestha and the party cadre Krishna Thapa. The NC candidate Karki along with the party cadres was heading to take part in an election gathering in Nepaltar in the district. Meanwhile, police have reached the incident site for the investigation. Further details into the incident is awaited. The incident site is at a distance of 47 kilometres from Gaighat, the district headquarters.