Rautahat, September 12

Transportation has been obstructed due to the continuous rainfalls for the past three days along the East-West Highway road section of Bagmati-Paurahi in Chandrapur Municipality, Rautahat, from yesterday.

The road section along Bagmati-Paurahi was inundated following heavy rainfall since yesterday. The road section was obstructed after the high flow of water in the causeway at Paurahi jungle of the Bagmati River.

It is said that passengers are at a risk after a bus heading towards east was stuck in the causeway.

Meanwhile, a police team deployed from District Police Office, Rautahat rescued the passengers.

Police said that a team led by Inspector Birendra Paswan of Area Police Office, Chandranigahapur, had faced the problems rescuing people due to the flood in the first causeway from Chandranigahapur to the east.

DSP Nabin Krishna Bhandari at DPO said that all the passengers were rescued despite the difficulties. As many as 30 passengers were travelling in the bus.

Similarly, cadres of CPN-Maoist Centre rescued a jeep in which CPN-MC leader Prabhu Sah was travelling from the Paurahi causeway.

It is said that thousands of passengers have been stranded due to obstruction of the highway. The water level in the road section has yet to decrease due to continuous rainfall. Vehicles coming from the east were stopped at Karmaiya and Mangalpur of Sarlahi, while vehicles coming from the west were stuck at Juribala of Chandranigahapur.

Meanwhile, Rautahat Chief District Officer Narahari Baral said that a rescue team, along with necessary materials had been deployed to the site. Police said that buses, which were booked by the cadres of CPN-MC to attend Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s programme, were stuck in Bara, Parsa and the forest in Rautahat.  The programme was organised in Mirchaiya, Siraha today.

Due to incessant rainfall, a dozen VDCs of Rautahat district were inundated. The heavy rainfall had submerged Matsari, Pachharukhi, Gangapipara, Banjaraha, Aauriya, Bairiya, Tejapakad, Dewahi and Karuniya, among others VDCs and Chandrapur Municipality’s wards No 13, 14 and 15.

Likewise, a passenger bus turned turtle due to the flood in Jogidaha, Udayapur today.

The commuter bus heading towards Biratnagar from Jogidaha had overturned due to the flood at Jogidaha VDC in Kanga Khola of the district yesterday.

Ramesh Regmi, a local, said that the bus, which was crossing the river, had  turned turtle. He said that passengers swam in the flooded river.

A passenger, Jagat Khadka, said he jumped from the bus when the flood swept the vehicle slowly. He said that as many as 10 to 12 passengers were travelling in the bus.