RAUTAHAT: As many as 111 locals stranded in the capital city amid the nationwide lockdown imposed since March 24 have been rescued and brought to Durga Bhagawati Rural Municipality on Friday morning.

The rescued persons – 58 women, 40 men and 13 children -- were brought to the quarantine facility in Saraswati Secondary School, from Kathmandu, where authorities recorded their details including temperatures and sent them home with an agreement to stay in home quarantine.

The rescuees were supposed to be tested for coronavirus antibodies through Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) upon their arrival and only sent to their homes after they tested negative, informed Arun Kumar Sah, chair of the rural municipality. However,  they were sent home without doing so due to lack of RDT kits. Sah claimed that the office had requested for from District Health Office, Gaur, however, the district could not supply the same.

Chair Sah added that the local level had to send vehicles to rescue the locals after they struggled to make ends meet amid the lengthening lockdown.

Similarly, Dewahi Gonahi Municipality have rescued 37 persons from Kathmandu, informed Mayor Dharmendra Patel, adding that the office will send more vehicles to bring to locals home if needed.

It has been reported that Ishnath Municipality is all set to bring 250 persons from Kathmandu and 74 among them will reach the municipality by tomorrow morning and the rest will be brought within three days.

Meanwhile, Rautahat Chief District Officer Basudev Ghimire said that the district has no exact record of people arriving from Kathmandu as the persons are still arriving. CDO Ghimire claimed that the district has requested the provincial government for supply of additional RDT kits, which would take about a week to reach the district.

The locals levels receiving persons from Kathmandu have been requested to keep the persons in strict home quarantine, added CDO Ghimire.