A remote village in Rolpa is mourning a tragic accident that claimed the lives of five workers, including four members of a single family. The incident occurred on Sunday morning during the construction of a footbridge linking Maulabang and Bahirigam in Sunchhahari Rural Municipality-3, eastern Rolpa.

The victims—45-year-old Dujman Pariyar, 31-year-old Om Pariyar, 40-year-old Subitra Pariyar, 27-year-old Aaiti Pariyar, and 66-year-old Deviram Pariyar—were buried under a collapsing mud mound while digging a foundation pit for the bridge.

Of the seven workers present at the site, two managed to escape unhurt. All the victims were residents of Bahirigam and relatives, with the family of 80-year-old Dilman Pariyar suffering the most, losing four members in the accident.

The bridge, under construction for a month, was expected to bring new opportunities to the village by improving connectivity and providing temporary employment to locals. However, the accident has left the community devastated. The bridge was designed to connect Bahirigam to Maulabang, facilitating development in the region and benefiting around 200 residents.

Among the deceased, 66-year-old Deviram Pariyar, who had been relying on the old-age pension to support his family, leaves behind a wife and two young children aged 7 and 8. Deviram, like others, had taken up the work to supplement his income. Most of the families affected by the tragedy are from the Dalit community, which faces significant socio-economic challenges.

Dilman Pariyar, who lost his two sons, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter-in-law, is deeply grief-stricken. The family had taken up the construction work hoping to improve their financial situation.

“Finding work in the village is difficult,” said Deusingh Ghartimagar, a neighbour of Dilman. “They had hoped to earn something, but this tragic incident has taken everything away [from them].”

Sunchhahari Rural Municipality has promised immediate relief of Rs25,000 per family for funeral expenses. Additionally, talks are underway with the contractor responsible for the bridge to provide Rs500,000 in compensation per victim.

The locals have demanded a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident. They have called for the formation of an independent inquiry committee to identify the cause leading to the collapse and to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The accident site lies about 40 kilometres northeast of Rolpa’s district headquarters, Libang. The police have begun an initial investigation, and bodies of the deceased were sent to Sulichaur Primary Health Centre, two hours away, for post-mortem.