PALPA, July 9: A motorcyclist died after being struck by a landslide along the Siddhartha Highway in Tinau Rural Municipality–3, near Headbox, on the Butwal–Tansen road section.
According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Sunil Malla of the District Police Office, Palpa, the victim, 36-year-old Janak Bhandari from Talpokhara, Rampur Municipality–5, Palpa, was seriously injured when a landslide hit motorcycle Lu 51 Pa 6633, which was en route to Palpa from Butwal on Tuesday.
He was rushed to Lumbini Provincial Hospital in Butwal but was pronounced dead on arrival. His wife, Kalpana Chapagain, who was riding pillion, sustained minor injuries and is currently receiving treatment at the same hospital.
Police said the landslide struck suddenly from above, causing the motorcyclist to fall off the road.
Authorities have since halted vehicle movement along the Tansen–Butwal section of the Siddhartha Highway due to ongoing landslide risks and falling rocks in areas like Bartung and Siddhababa.