Man dead, wife injured as landslide sweeps bike off the road in Palpa

BUTWAL: One person died when a motorcycle he was riding was swept off the road by a landslide near Siddhababa along the Siddhartha Highway in Palpa on Tuesday morning.

The deceased has been identified as Janak Bhandari (36) from Talpokhara in Rampur Municipality-6 of Palpa. His wife, Kalpana Chapagain (29), who was riding a pillion, was injured in the incident.

According to the District Police Office, Palpa, the couple was traveling from Butwal to Rampur when the landslide struck near Siddhababa in Tinau Rural Municipality-3. Landslide debris swept away their motorbike while it was in motion. The man was thrown downhill from the road, while his wife was found stuck near the roadside.

A police team led by ASI Rum Bahadur KC rescued the couple and rushed them to Lumbini Provincial Hospital in Butwal, where Bhandari was declared dead on arrival.