PYUTHAN, July 11

A man was killed and five were injured when an improvised explosive device bomb went off at a house in Funtibang at Thabang VDC, Rolpa this morning.

DSP Ramesh Thapa at District Police Office said that the IED exploded on the upper floor of Shree Prasad Gharti’s two-storey building. House owner Shree Prasad was killed in the incident.

The IED that went off at around 7am has completely damaged the house. Locals said that Shree Prasad’s body was yet to be pulled out from the rubble.

Shree Prasad’s wife Layan Gharti, 50, daughter Sodeshi Budha, 18, daughter-in-law Ashimta Gharti,19 and son-in-law Rajdhan Budha, 20, and neighbour Dhane Jhankri, 44, were injured in the incident. All the injured are being treated at a local health facility, said DSP Thapa.

Details about the IED and explosion are yet to come, according to DSP Thapa. A police team led by an inspector has been mobilised to investigate into the incident.

DSP Thapa informed that the Nepal Army would uncover whether the IED was planted before or after the peace agreement in 2006.

Police personnel from Thabang Police Post have cordoned off the incident, suspecting that there could be more IEDs or explosive materials in the debris.

A technical team comprising 50 personnel from Nepal Army’s Devidutta Battalion, led by Lt Colonel Binod Chand, has left for the incident site.

It takes one and half days to reach Thabang. DSP Thapa said teams from NA and police would reach the incident site tomorrow. “We can say more about the incident only after the army and police teams reach the incident site,” DSP Thapa added.

Explosions and seizure of explosive materials continue to terrify locals in Rolpa, once the epicentre of Maoist insurgency.