Rescuers find no trace of jeep lost in Hetauda sinkhole

KATHMANDU: A Mahindra Bolero jeep, which disappeared into the ground in broad daylight in Hetauda a few days ago, has yet to be found.

The vehicle was driving along a road in Gairigaun, located on the border of Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan Wards 16 and 17, when the earth suddenly gave way beneath it. The jeep sank into the ground on May 2 and has not been seen since.

Videos shared on social media show the Bolero jeep gradually sinking into the ground as the driver informs the owner about the vehicle’s condition.

Not even a trace of the vehicle has been recovered, despite multiple efforts by police and a team of geologists dispatched to the site.

The team, led by geologist Narayan Adhikari, carried out borehole drilling and collected groundwater samples from the site for lab testing in Kathmandu. Adhikari said that the land around the sinkhole continues to show signs of subsidence.

Officials have sealed off the area to prevent further accidents, as the ground remains unstable. “Although we have searched the surrounding area extensively, the vehicle is still missing,” said Shyamlal Aryal, the spokesperson for the District Police Office, Makwanpur.