UPDATE-Three killed, former home minister Ghimire with his two brothers missing in Trishuli River

Chitwan, Sept 25: Three persons died while three others including former Home Minister Madhav Prasad Ghimire have gone missing as the jeep they were in plunged into the Trishuli River near Dahrechwok VDC-3 of Chitwan along the Prithvi Highway on Sunday afternoon. But, jeep driver police constable Bishnu Rai was found injured in the accident.
According to Chief District Officer of Chitwan, Binod Prakash Singh, those killed in the accident are 80-year old mother of former Minister Ghimire, Chaitanya Kumari, his security guard sub-inspector of police, Ram Chandra Karki and relative Narayan Kafle. Kafle is learnt to Ghimire’s nephew (sister’s son).
Ghimire’s brothers missing along with him are- Prakash and Mohan.
The jeep (Ba 9 Cha 1531) coming to Kathmandu from Muktinath via Pokhara fell into the river.
Deputy Inspector General of Armed Police from Disaster Management Training Centre of Kurintar, Janak Basnet, said the jeep fell some 150 metres down from a bend to plunge into the river.
The dead bodies of mother Chaitanya Kumari, Karki and relative Kafle were found on the bank of the river, while driver Rai was found injured on steep. He has been undergoing treatment at College of Medical Science Teaching Hospital, Bharatpur. As his condition is very serious, none is allowed to meet him, added the police.
The police persons involved in the rescue quoted driver as saying, “Former Minister Ghimire told him that he would take rest as it was his (Ghimire)’s turn for driving after they took meal at Damauli.”
The search for the missing is difficult, for the river is swollen.
Lighting tower to help rescue operation
However, the rescue teams of the armed police force began searching since the evening with the arrangement of lighting tower from the road. The lighting tower throws light up to four kilometer, added Basnet.
Ghimire was government’s Chief Secretary from 2066 to 2069 BS while he served as Home Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs during the government led by former Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi. RSS