District police chief, Tul Bahadur Karki, said they suspect that the victim might have come in contact with an improvised explosive device (IED). It could not be immediately ascertained whether the IED was plated recently or belonged to the war era, he said.

Nama Devi’s relatives, however, claimed that the explosive was planted recently as the incident took place on the track where villagers walked frequently.

Bhumiraj said he and his wife were headed to a nearby forest to collect firewood when the incident occurred.

“She was walking ahead of me when I heard the explosion. Soon after, I saw her mutilated body,” he said.

Chief District Officer Ram Bahadur Kurumwang said police are investigating into the incident by enquiring the villagers and neighbours of the victims.

“We are still not sure if it was an IED explosion since there were no shrapnel traces at the scene. Maybe the shrapnel got lodged inside her body. The truth will be out as the investigation progresses,” Kurumwang said.