A Bolero pickup van driving through Gairigaun in Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City, Makawanpur, mysteriously sank into the ground on Friday afternoon and disappeared underground. Despite search efforts on Friday and Saturday, the vehicle has not been found. On Sunday, a team from the Armed Police Force was called in to assist in the ongoing search.
The incident occurred on an unpaved inner road connecting Wards 16 and 17 of Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City. The single-cab pickup truck (registration number Na 4 Cha 4833), owned by local resident Hariram Rai, was carrying a grass-cutting machine when it began to sink.
As the vehicle started to subside, the driver and co-driver tried to pull it out using a rope from behind. However, their efforts were unsuccessful. In a video, they can be seen making a phone call to inform someone about the vehicle sinking. The person on the other end suggests using a tractor to pull it out, but they respond that the vehicle has already disappeared underground, making it impossible to retrieve with a tractor.
A large crater has now formed at the site, filled with murky water. The incident, where a moving vehicle vanished underground, has drawn significant public attention.
What is the geography of the area like?
On both sides of the road where the vehicle sank are fish farming ponds. A water borehole had been drilled near the road, which the vehicle owner Hariram Rai used to fill his fish ponds. The land appears to have sunk near this borehole, causing the vehicle to vanish.
In a video, the people trying to pull the vehicle with ropes mention that it entered the borehole.
Cattle had also disappeared in the same area before
According to locals, the area where the road and ponds now exist was previously a swamp. There have been past incidents where oxen plowing fields disappeared into the swamp.
Ramkrishna Koirala, Ward Chairperson of Ward No. 16, said, “I don’t remember the exact date, but when we were young, the elders used to say that 7–8 oxen had sunk there. I also remember a pair of oxen disappearing into the ground when I was a bit older.”
In recent years, the ground had dried and hardened, prompting the construction of a road. “There’s no swamp now; the land had dried and become firm. That’s why the road was constructed about 6–7 years ago during my first term,” said Chairperson Koirala. “Now, the road has collapsed and swallowed a vehicle.” He added that the Armed Police were called in today to help search for the van.
Bharat Raj Gautam, Chief Administrative Officer of Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City, also said he had heard from others that two oxen had once disappeared in that area many years ago.
He stated, “According to a report from our municipal police, that area used to be a swamp, and there was a well that was later buried. Apparently, two oxen were also lost there.”
Given that the incident occurred within the municipality’s jurisdiction, he said they would consult with geologists for further action.
Two days after the vehicle disappeared, the Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City convened a meeting of the Disaster Management Committee. Mayor Mina Lama confirmed that the meeting was called to discuss the incident.
Department of Mines and Geology Unaware
Despite the vehicle sinking into the ground in Hetauda, the Department of Mines and Geology remains unaware of the incident. Monica Jha, Deputy Director General of the department, said she only learned about it through media reports and has not received any formal notification.
She said, “I saw the news in the media yesterday. But we haven’t received any official information, and no one has asked for assistance.”
She also mentioned that the department is currently operating without a Director General, which has created difficulties in operations. Director General Dinesh Nepali had resigned citing personal reasons, and the Cabinet has already accepted his resignation. For now, Jha is handling only day-to-day administrative tasks based on seniority.
“Without a Director General, the department is in a difficult situation,” she said. “If we receive a report about the incident in Hetauda, we will send a team of geologists to study the site.”
