KATHMANDU, Feb 16: Harikala Adhikari, the mother of Nepali Congress (NC) lawmaker Chandra Bhandari, has passed away, according to family sources. She was being treated at Kirtipur Burn Hospital after being seriously injured in a gas cylinder explosion on Wednesday night.
Director of Kirtipur Burn Hospital Dr. Nijima Tamrakar said that 86-year-old Harikala Bhandari passed away at 10:57 this morning.
NC lawmaker Bhandari airlifted to India for further treatment
Both NC lawmaker Bhandari and his mother were injured in the gas cylinder explosion that took place on Wednesday night. Earlier, the hospital had recommended taking both of them to a well-equipped hospital outside the country as further treatment is not possible in Nepal.
While 25-30 percent of Chandra Bhandari's body and 70 percent of the 86-year-old mother Harikala Bhandari's body received burn injury as a result of the explosion. MP Bhandari's lungs and airways are also affected.
Bhandari had reached the house in Kathmandu Buddhanagar at around 9:30 PM on Wednesday night. There was an explosion shortly after reaching home. It is said that the explosion occurred when the mother went to the kitchen and Bhandari was also injured while trying to save the mother.
After seeing the mother and son burnt due to a loud explosion, their brother and other neighbors living upstairs rescued them and took them to the hospital. They are currently being treated at the Kirtipur Burn Hospital.
Leader Bhandari was elected as a member of the House of Representatives from Gulmi Constituency No. 1 in the elections held on November 20.