Four people died after the Mahindra Bolero vehicle they were traveling in caught fire on the Kaflepati road section in Phungling Municipality-10, Taplejung, while they were on the way to visit Pathibhara Temple on Monday morning.
Police have revealed that three of the deceased are from the same family. The deceased include 70-year-old Binod Paudel from Hospital Chowk, Bhadrapur-8, Jhapa; his 69-year-old wife Sarita Paudel; and their 16-year-old granddaughter Aadhya Acharya from Lalitpur Metropolitan City-10. Taplejung Police reported that the driver, 42-year-old Durga Bhattarai from Phungling-10, also died in the incident.
The Paudel couple’s daughter, 45-year-old Sabina Acharya from Lalitpur Metropolitan City-10, and her 10-year-old son Abiyam Acharya were injured in the accident. Police informed that Abiyam is in a condition to speak.
They have been taken to Taplejung District Hospital for treatment. Preparations are being made to send them to Kathmandu via helicopter for further treatment.
According to police, the accident occurred when the vehicle caught fire after coming into contact with a high-tension electric wire that had snapped and was hanging above the road near Kaflepati en route to Pathibhara Temple from from Phungling, the district headquarters of Taplejung.
The family had arrived in Phungling on Sunday and stayed at a hotel. They had left for Pathibhara Temple at 3:30 AM on Monday.
The deceased Binod Paudel ran an audit firm in Kathmandu.
