Rajbiraj, August 31:

The body of a new mother is lying in Sagarmatha zonal hospital here for the last two days due to the three-day transport strike called by the Dalit Janajati Party.

Sewaki Devi, 30, of Sukhipur-9 in Siraha district, who was hospitalised after she started having labour pains died yesterday. Her body has not been taken back to her village due to the transportation strike.

Even the hearses are not allowed to ply, said Sukni Sada, her mother-in-law. Sewaki, who was brought to the hospital belatedly, was operated upon shortly after for a caesarean delivery but she contracted uraemia and died, a staff nurse said.

Sukni Sada said that taking care of her grand-daughter was now her prime responsibility after the death of her daughter-in-law. Sukni, who is stuck at the hospital and saddled with the burden of taking Sewaki’s body back to the village, said, “I wish to cremate her in the village, but this strike has made everything difficult.”

The hospital is mounting pressure on her to check out with her daughter-in-law’s body, she bemoaned and added that the money she has with her might not be enough to cover the hospital bills and transportation expenses to carry Sewaki’s body back to the village. Sukni begged several people for help in this regard but in vain.