Hetauda, May 27

The general strike called by the Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal left people terrified as the banned political outfit planted bombs and torched vehicles at different places across the country today.

CPN had enforced the shutdown to protest the death of its cadre Tirthraj Ghimire in police firing in Bhojpur.

A Nepali Army team defused a pressure cooker bomb at Buddha Chowk of Hetauda Sub-metropolitan City in Makawanpur at 5:00am today.

Another Nepali Army team defused a pressure cooker bomb planted in front of Ncell office at Srijana Chowk, Pokhara, at 8:00am. The NA team also deactivated a bomb each planted at Pokhara’s Durbarmarg and on the roadside of Annapurna Rural Municipality, along the Bhupiserchan Highway.

District Police Office Kaski DSP Rabindraman Gurung said security was heightened after improvised explosive devices were found at various places in Pokhara.

Another NA team defused a pressure cooker bomb at Chandrapur of Rautahat along the East-West Highway.

According to police, a pressure cooker bomb was found inside a noodle carton.

Rautahat Police Chief SP Bhupendra Bahadur Khatri said a large number of police personnel had been deployed to prevent untoward incidents along the highway.

A Nepali Army team deployed from Krishnadal Gan at Byas Municipality defused a pressure cooker bomb planted at Musekhola of Byas Municipality in Tanahun, along the Prithvi highway and a bomb kept inside a tea kettle at Nahal of Bandipur Rural Municipality last night.

Suspicious objects were found at various places of Kailali and Baitadi.

According to Inspector Prakash Dangi of Kailali District Police Office, a suspicious object wrapped in a sack was found at Lalpur of Godawari Municipality, in Kailali.

Another suspicious object connected with plastic wire was found at Shreekot of Dogadakedar Rural Municipality. NA teams had defused both the suspicious objects.

A truck loaded with cement was hit with a petrol bomb at Arunkhola of Madhyabindu Municipality, along the East-West Highway, Nawalpur today morning.

The truck driver had lost control and fallen five metres below the road and caught fire. Driver Amar BK, 33, was injured in the incident. His back and face have received burns. He is undergoing treatment at Manakamana Poly Clinic, Nawalpur.

In the same manner, a petrol bomb was thrown at the moving jeep at Patharkhola of Kawasoti Municipality, Nawalpur. A tent kept inside the jeep caught fire.

Bara police said that a parked Indian truck was torched at Bajani of Jitpursimara Sub-metropolitan City in Bara. The fire had burnt down pipes brought for the Nepal-India petroleum pipeline project, said DSP Ranjit Singh Rathaur.

Locals gather around a mini-truck that was torched during a nationwide bandh called by Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal, at Chaukitole, in Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City-1, on Monday, May 27, 2019. Photo: Prakash Dahal/THT

A parked mini-truck at Chaukitole of Hetauda Sub-metropolitan City-1 was set ablaze along the Tribhuvan Highway in Makawanpur last night.

The truck was completely damaged.

Makawanpur DSP Yagya Prasad Bhattarai said a bus was torched at Khanigaun of Thaha Municipality, Makawanpur.

Life was partially affected in most of the districts outside Kathmandu valley due to the bandh.

Long route buses stayed off the road though a large number of security personnel were deployed to provide security. Market places and shops pulled down their shutters in various districts while educational institutions remained closed due to the strike.