Rajbiraj, August 23:

Normal life was affected today on the second day of the five-day general strike in the Tarai region called by Madhesi Mukti Tigers (MMT).

Life in Nawalparasi, Udaypur, Siraha, Rautahat, Sarlahi and Dhanusha ground to a halt today as well. MMT cadres set ablaze three motorcycles in Nawalparasi and took control of six more at various places in other districts for defying the bandh call.

Long and short public vehicles did not ply, factories remained shut and even medicine shops did not open in the districts.

People in Udaypur faced a shortage of vegetables and other daily consumption items. Rural markets were closed in Gaur.

The MMT had called the general strike to press for demands including declaring martyrs all people killed in course of the recent Madhes agitation, compensation be paid to their kin, punishment to suppressors of the Madhes agitation and withdrawal of all cases filed by the government against the agitators.

Meanwhile, a pregnant woman died due to lack of timely treatment. Krishna Devi, wife of Jitendra Shah Gamhariya Pravaha VDC in Saptari district, who had labour pain and was bleeding, could not be taken to a nearby hospital due to the general strike called by the MMT. She died while being taken to Sagarmatha Zonal Hospital, said Tulanath Majhi of the Saptari chapter of the Nepal Family Planning Association.