Vehicle swept away by flood found in Modi River, driver and passenger still missing

POKHARA, July 7: Two people went missing after the vehicle they were travelling in was swept away by a swollen seasonal rivulet when they were returning home from work. The vehicle was later found in the Modi River about 1.5 km away from the scene of the accident but the driver and the technician aboard the vehicle are still missing. 

According to Shiva Raj Budhathoki, Deputy Superintendent of Police of Parbat district, the missing technician, Raja Ram Acharya and driver Indra Tharu of Lama Construction Company have gone missing after the incident. Their vehicle was found stuck in a gorge at the Modi River. However, authorities have not been able to pull it out due to the high flow of water level in the river. 

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According to Budhathoki, the vehicle fell into the seasonal rivulet while returning from Kushma at around 11 PM. The vehicle was swept away from the incident site in Kushma Municipality-8, Dobilla, 1.5 km into the Modi River. 

“The vehicle cannot be retrieved before the flow of the Modi river decreases,” Budhathoki said. “It cannot be said for sure if the driver and the technician are still inside the vehicle,” he added. 

It started to rain at around 10 PM in the region. The vehicle was swept away by the raging season rivulet while they were returning, Budhathoki said. “An accident may have occured while trying to cross the road at night,” he added. 

Furthermore, the roadway from Dimuwa to Kushma has been severely damaged by the flood due to the continuous rainfall in the region. A few houses were also damaged by the swollen seasonal rivulet, Budhathoki informed Republica.