A tragic incident early Monday morning from the revered Pathibhara shrine in eastern Nepal has raised serious questions about infrastructural negligence and public safety.
A Bolero jeep, with registration number Me 1 B 3011, en route to Pathibhara from Taplejung district headquarters, caught fire after getting entangled in a hanging power line at Sewaro Chowk, Fungling Municipality-10. The vehicle was carrying pilgrims.
According to Bhim Bahadur Dahal, spokesperson for the Koshi Province Police Office and SSP, four people lost their lives and two were injured in the incident.
The deceased have been identified as 16-year-old Aadhya Acharya, daughter of Sabina Acharya from Lalitpur Metropolitan City-10; 70-year-old Binod Paudel and his 69-year-old wife Sarita Paudel from Bhadrapur Municipality-15, Jhapa; and the driver, approximately 42-year-old Durga Bhattarai from Fungling-10, Taplejung. Binod and Sarita were the parents of Sabina Acharya.
The injured, 45-year-old Sabina Acharya and her 10-year-old son Bhavimaya Acharya, are undergoing treatment in Kathmandu after being airlifted from the site.
Initial reports suggest the accident occurred due to a sagging power line. However, photos from the scene reveal the jeep was stuck in a muddy road, with victims’ bodies lying in the sludge.
According to Chiring Lama, Chief of the District Coordination Committee, the vehicle had departed around 3 AM – a time when heavy fog is common. The road is unpaved and worsens in rainy conditions. It appears the jeep tried to avoid potholes and got caught in the hanging power line.
Thousands of pilgrims, but a neglected 10-kilometer road
The road from Fungling to Suketar Airport is blacktopped. However, the stretch from Suketar to Kaflepati, opened over 15 years ago, remains unimproved. Before the road opened, pilgrims would trek from Suketar to reach the Pathibhara shrine.
Though access has slightly improved, the road has not been upgraded or paved, leading to recurring accidents and hardships for travelers.
Lama blamed both the contractor and the government for the poor condition of the road. “The state hasn’t given this road the priority it deserves, and the construction company has failed to deliver as well,” he said.
Contracted to blacktop the Suketar–Kaflepati stretch is Kantak Pvt. Ltd., which signed the agreement in January 2022 to pave a 7-meter-wide road. According to the agreement, the project was to be completed by mid-2023. However, the work remains unfinished.
Amindra Khadka, chief of the Tamor Corridor Road Project (Subhangkhola–Doban–Olangchungola), said the project has recently gained momentum after years of neglect.
“We plan to complete graveling up to a place called Deurali this fiscal year,” he said, adding that the remaining work is set to be finished next year. The company is currently maintaining the road for emergency use, although recent rain worsened the muddy conditions.
“Compared to before, the road has improved significantly,” he told Onlinekhabar, “We aim to complete blacktopping by next year.” This fiscal year, a budget liability of around Rs 60 million has been created, he added.
Over 300,000 pilgrims visit Pathibhara annually, using local jeeps and private vehicles. During the dry season, dust plagues the journey, while the rainy season turns the road into a muddy mess. Despite discussions about whether a cable car is necessary in the area, road development remains neglected.
Yogesh’s comment: Wire worsened the incident
The accident occurred in the constituency of UML Secretary Yogesh Bhattarai, who won the parliamentary election here. As a representative, he held the responsibility to monitor and highlight state shortcomings—something he seemingly failed to do.
In a social media post following the tragedy, Bhattarai mentioned that accidents caused by electric poles and wires have occurred repeatedly in Taplejung. However, he did not address the dilapidated state of the road. He did urge the electricity authority to ensure better quality in transmission lines, poles, and related infrastructure.
