Kavrepalanchok, July 1
A patient en route to Kathmandu lost his life inside an ambulance after the BP Highway was blocked due to a landslide on Monday afternoon.
Bharat Lal Jha, a resident of Manarashiswa Municipality-2 in Mahottari, was being transported from Janakpur to Kathmandu for treatment following a brain hemorrhage. However, he died on the way after the ambulance got stuck due to the road obstruction.
The highway was blocked at Narke in Roshi Rural Municipality-9 after mud and debris flowed onto the road from above around 5 pm.
Four ambulances were stranded at the scene, and Jha, who was inside one of them, succumbed before reaching the hospital.
Due to the obstruction, even ambulances could not move. When there was no response from the patient in one of the ambulances, he was taken to the Provincial Hospital in Methinkot, Bhakunde. However, doctors confirmed he was already dead upon arrival.
Dr Tribhuwan Chandra Jha, medical superintendent at Methinkot Hospital, said the patient had already died before being brought in. “We cannot confirm whether the death was due to the traffic jam, but the patient had died on the way,” Dr Jha told Onlinekhabar.
Relatives had rushed him to the hospital after he stopped breathing. According to Mohan Pandey, mayor of the same municipality, the deceased’s body has been sent back to Mahottari.
Efforts are ongoing to clear the road in both directions with the help of a team from Mangaltar Area Police Office and equipment from the Department of Roads.
Kavre District Police Chief, SP Komal Shah, said ambulances were given priority clearance once a single lane was opened. “We prioritised ambulances and are now working to clear the road for all vehicles,” Shah said.
BP Highway is frequently obstructed by landslides, especially from mudflow originating in rural roads connected to the main highway. The road was previously blocked at Patlekhet in Dhulikhel-11 as well.
