National
2 die, 6 missing as boat capsizes in Begnas
Two persons died and six others including four children went missing when an overcrowded boat capsized in Begnas Lake in Kaski district on Saturday.Deepak Pariyar
Two persons died and six others including four children went missing when an overcrowded boat capsized in Begnas Lake in Kaski district on Saturday.
The wooden vessel was carrying 10 people— two times its capacity— and none of the victims wore life jackets, police said.
The boat was heading towards Pokhara Metropolitan City-30 when it sank in the middle of the lake. The deceased have been identified as Krishna Kumari Bajagain, 50, of New Buspark in Pokhara and Jamuna Gaire, 28, of Bhimad Municipality-4 in Tanahun.
Rabi Khanal, 32, of Gaidakot in Nawalpur district and his two sons Shankar, 8, and Shiva, 7, Prachin Poudel, 5, of Pokhara-31, Ranjita Gaire, 4, of Bhimad-4 in Tanahun and Manisha Bajagain, 18, of New Buspark in Pokhara are missing.
Police said the tragedy occurred while the victims were sailing towards the house of Kamal Raj Kandel who had organised a Dar feast on the occasion of the upcoming Teej festival.
Fifty-year-old Kandel, who works at the circulation branch of Kantipur Publication’s Pokhara office, was injured while trying to rescue the victims. He was following the capsized vessel on a separate boat.
Two persons were safely rescued by locals.
One of the survivors, Sapana Khanal, said, “There was not a single experienced boat operator when water started pooling inside the boat.”
She and Nisha Poudel were pulled out of the lake by Dil Kumari Jalari, a local fisherwoman, and her son Kumar.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Rabindra Gurung said rapid rescue team of Armed Police Force and Nepal Police was searching for the missing victims until late Saturday evening.