(Updated to add detail at 1240 NST, 0755 GMT)
BIRGUNJ, April 13: Death toll in Sunday night´s incident in Simara has reached three after 11-year old Sugam Moktan succumbed to injuries while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Kathmandu. [break]
Two others-- Devi Maya Phuyal, 32, and Kali Pariyar, 10 -- died on the spot while ten were injured when a truck ran over them in Pathlaiya-Birgunj highway at Simara of Bara district Sunday night. Moktan had sustained serious injuries.
Uddav BK, Bimala BK and Laxmi Gurung, among others are receiving treatment at Narayani Sub-regional Hospital. Condition of Gurung is reported to be critical. They are landless squatters and were lying on the road demanding land ownership certificates and security in their settlement.
According to police, the truck bearing registration number Na 1 Kha 4742 ran over the agitating squatters who staged a sit-in on the road from Saturday morning following an attack by an unidentified group in their settlement Friday night.
About 300 families of nearby squatters´ settlement were staging protest on the highway.
"Some protestors were preparing to sleep along the road. Suddenly, the over-speeding truck arrived there," said Ramesh Kalikote, a protestor, who witnessed the incident. He said those who had not fallen asleep by the time escaped the incident while those in deep sleep were mercilessly killed.
The truck hit a telephone pole about 25 meters from the incident site. People at the place were terrified and many ran away with deep injuries in their body.
"Some had head injuries while some others got their hands or legs fractured," he said .
Maoist Young Communist League cadres took the driver into their control. He is undergoing treatment in Birgunj after he was beaten up by irate locals.
The accident occurred at 10:30 p.m., shortly after the local administration and the agitating landless squatters reached an agreement to open the highway.
"The dreadful incident took place immediately after an agreement was reached regarding to punish the culprits involved in Friday´s attack," said Uma Rai of All Nepal Landless Squatters´ Association.
The situation in Simara has turned tense following the incident. Passengers and vehicles traveling along the highway have been stranded at several places. The protestors have continued to obstruct the road demanding action against the culprits, compensation to the deceased ones´ family members and land ownership certificates to the landless people.
Landless squatterd had captured seven bighas of land belonging to former king Gyanendra´s sister Shanti Singh. Currently about 300 landless families are living in the land.
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