Kamala, his mother, was very happy when her son broke the news to her. Unfortunately, her happiness proved to be a short-lived one because of a tragedy that struck not so long after.Sushant, who had gone out, died along with five other kids after a clay mound on which they were playing gave way and buried them. For Kamala, the day was even more shattering as her daughter Susmita was also among the five children who died in the incident.
Kamala, who had been waiting excitedly to inform about her son's achievement to her husband, was devastated when neighbors informed her about the accident.
"The incident has left us traumatized," said Kamala, wiping her tears.
Her husband, Deepak, was working at a local jewelry shop when the incident occurred.
The parents and guardians of the deceased children said they were not aware that their kids had been playing on the mound of clay. "I had no idea my children were out there digging clay," said Kamala. All of the children had gone out to play immediately after returning home from school.
A total of eight persons, including the deceased children, were digging out clay when the mound caved in. Two of them were critically injured in the incident.
Apart from Kamala's children, other kids who died in the accident have been identified as Sita Pyakurel, 9, Deepak Pyakurel, 6, Kiran Sunar, 5, and Nabina Neupane, 7, according to District Police Office (DPO) of Kailali.
Abakala Pyakurel, 67, was a lone custodian of her four grandchildren. Her daughter-in-law Raj Kanya Pyakurel had committed suicide two years ago, while her son remarried and moved out the family. Abakala's husband passed away nine months ago, and the responsibility to look after the children fell on her shoulder. Although she had been struggling to provide for the children because of her poor financial condition, she had made up her mind to bring them up on her own. But the Friday's incident has left her in a state of shock. She lost her grandchildren Sita, 9, and Deepak, 5, in the incident.
"I wanted to raise all of them as best as I could. But the incident has broken me," said Abakala. "Two very lovable children have been snatched away from me," she added mournfully.
The family is so poor that the final rites of the children could be performed only after neighbors and well-wishers provided the money.
The children had followed two women--Jamuna Timilsina Khatiwada, 30, and Sita Khatiwada, 35--after noticing them digging. Both of them were critically injured in the incident and are undergoing treatment at Nepalgunj-based Medical College. Jamuna, who is also a teacher at a local school, is eight month's pregnant, according to her relatives.
Police and locals pulled out the bodies of the deceased children from the site, where the slippers worn by the children could still be seen. Locals are still afraid to visit the accident site.
Sarita Adhikari, whose house is located near the site, claimed that she had warned the victims to be careful, but they did not heed her advice.
It is a long-running tradition to daub one's house with clay ahead of Hindu festivals of Dashain and Tihar. "The children joined the locals in extracting the clay out of sheer excitement," said Bhumi Prashad Joshi, a local teacher of Bal Baal Kalyan Lower Secondary School.
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