Kapilvastu death toll reaches 20
Amrita Anmol
KAPILVASTU, Sept 19 - The death toll in the Kapilvastu riots has mounted to 20 as 15 more bodies were recovered in the district Wednesday.
Seven bodies were recovered from a gorge at Devnagari in Birpur VDC this morning, stated the District Police Office (DPO), quoting local residents.
Eight more bodies were recovered from the same area today evening, the locals said.
More bodies are expected to be recovered, the police informed.
None of the eight bodies have been identified yet as their bodies have been disfigured beyond recognition, the police added.
Among the seven found this morning, the deceased have been identified as Hari bahadur Basnet, Jhabinda Khanal, Shovaram Sunar of Bisanpur VDC, and Mohit Bahadur Magar of Shivagadi VDC-3.
A woman from the same village is yet to be identified.
According to Deputy Superintendent Kuber Kadayet, faces of two of them have disfigured beyond recognition.
A team of police has headed for Bisanpur VDC after they were informed that the bodies were in the village.
The police team plans to bring the dead bodies to the DPO.
At least, 14 people are still missing in the riots torn in Bishanpur and other affected areas.
Two passenger buses were torched last night during the curfew period. The police have arrested four persons for their suspected involvement in the incident.
Besides, one dozen vehicles have been set ablaze and vandalized in Ganeshpur and Mahendra Highway, the locals added.
Meanwhile, curfew was relaxed for four hours this morning after three days. The curfew has been re-imposed in the district.
Property worth millions of rupees were destroyed in the riots after an unidentified group shot dead Mohit Khan, a former leader of an anti-Maoist group, Sunday morning.
The DPO added that at least 110 vehicles were either vandalized or torched while over 300 houses in various places were set ablaze.
In Chandrauta bazaar alone, 85 vehicles were torched whereas 16 others were torched in Krishnanagar.
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