Bhojpur, September 19

A team of divers reached Sankhuwasabha today to carry out search operation for those who had gone missing when a jeep fell off the Akkar cliff and plunged into the Arun River in Dharmadevi Municipality of the district.

As many as six persons had gone missing when the jeep bound for Dharan from Khandbari fell 200 metres below into the river at around 10:00pm on Tuesday.

A team of divers led by senior head constable of Armed Police Force Balaram Adhikari from Chitwan reached Tumlingtar in a Nepali Army chopper today. The team will reach the incident site and carry out search operation for the missing, said police.

Police said the team was called yesterday, but they could not reach the site due to bad weather. As many as 25 security personnel were deployed to search for the missing following the incident. The team of divers was called after the water level in the river continued to rise due to heavy rainfall in the upper parts of the river.

The jeep had fallen into the river while it was heading for BP Koirala Institute of Health and Sciences, carrying two ill passengers whose treatment was not possible in Khandbari District Hospital. As many as six persons, including the jeep driver, went missing when the jeep fell into the river.

The missing have been identified as jeep driver Santosh BK, 25, Sangam Shrestha, 24, his wife Sadikshya, 23, and their two-month-old son Sameer, Pramesh Thapa Magar, 24, of Khandbari Municipality-9, and Khaberman Pithakothe, 29, of Khotang.

Pramesh and Sameer were being taken to BPKIHS.