Narayangarh, December 13:

Students of Hill Bird Residential Secondary School at Bharatpur-12, who lost their dear friends and teachers in a fatal mishap on Thursday night, are yet to overcome their shock and are finding it difficult to console themselves.

Twelve-year-old Rakshya Ghimire, a sixth grader in the school, said she still remembered her beloved classmates — Sonisha Gaire, 11, and Amol Adhikari,12, — dancing on the occasion of the school’s anniversary last year. Both Gaire and Adhikari were killed in the mishap. Sixth graders Nikita Devkota and Srijana Baral, both 12, also lost their lives in the accident. Srijana’s mother Apsara, 34, also died. With tears falling from her eyes, Rakshya shared how they had danced together while singing deusi-bhailo during Tihar this year. “Their memories are still vivid,” a mourning Rakshya said. Another sixth grader Asmita Bhatt, 12, said cruel death had taken her dear friends for ever.

Abinash Chaudhary, 12, a fifth grader, lost three of his beloved classmates — Dibash Shrestha, 12, Dipa Subedi, 12, and Rimu Subedi, 10, — in the mishap. “Dibash was my best friend.

He used to come to our house regularly and I also used to visit his house quite often. I don’t know how I would be able to console myself,” an aggrieved Chaudhary said.

He also recounted how Dibash had insisted him to join the picnic. “I couldn’t join because my parents didn’t permit me. Had I predicted the events earlier, I would have never allowed Dibash to join the picnic. I not only lost my three dear friends but also lost my teacher Usha Sedhain, 40,” he added.

Prajwol Rupakheti, 14, a seventh grader, who lost his friend Alina Acharya, said he still couldn’t believe that the mishap indeed had occurred. “Sometimes I feel my friends will return,” Prajwol added.

The unfortunate road accident in Mukundapur-6 in Nawalparasi along the East-West Highway had claimed 23 lives — 18 students, four teachers and an administrative employee of the school — on Thursday evening.