Makawanpur crash kills 14, casts shadow over Chhath preparations

Nirmala Devi Yadav, 49, had been preparing for Chhath since early Wednesday. She had readied everything including offerings for the festival, which falls on Sunday. All that remained was to welcome her son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren home from Kathmandu. That reunion will never happen.

A microbus travelling from Kathmandu plunged about 700 metres down a slope from the main road at Chisapanigadhi in ward 6 of Bhimphedi Rural Municipality of Makawanpur district at around 5:45 am on Thursday. The vehicle (Madhesh Province 03-001 Ja 0880) was carrying 20 people, including the driver, despite having only 14 seats. The crash that occurred about eight kilometres north of the Area Police Office in Bhimphedi, killed 14 people: 13 passengers and the driver, Ravi Shankar Kumar Mandal. Among the dead are Nirmala’s pregnant daughter-in-law Poonam and five other members of her family.

The tragedy struck just as the village was getting ready for Chhath, turning what should have been a festive occasion into one of mourning. At first, Nirmala could not believe the news.