A 71-year-old man died after being hit by a falling stone during road maintenance work in Halesi Tuwachung Municipality on Thursday.

The deceased has been identified as Bal Bahadur Rai of Radhakhola.

Inspector Sushant Mishra, information officer of the district police office, Khotang said that the incident occurred at Chyasmitar Dalphu in Ward 3 when a stone was dislodged by a JCB excavator carrying out road repairs and struck Rai, fatally injuring him.

Police have taken the excavator and its 26-year-old driver, Kewal Magar of Tapli Rural Municipality-2 in Udayapur, into custody, Mishra said.

The body has been sent to Ghopa-based hospital in Dharan.