In a heart-wrenching incident in Panchthar’s Phalelung Rural Municipality, Ward No. 5, two young siblings, Dipsan Sawa and his two-and-a-half-year-old sister Prinsa, lost their lives after a bomb exploded while they were playing. The tragic event unfolded in Dandagaon, Prangbung, where their father, Dilip Sawa, is currently working abroad in Dubai.
On the day of the incident, Dipsan returned home early from school due to exams and found his sister Prinsa at home. Together, they went to their friend Pawan Rai’s house, just a short walk away. Another friend, Dipsan Rai, also joined them there. With no adult supervision, as Pawan’s mother had gone to work, the children began playing and discovered a strange, ball-like object in the house.
According to Bharat Kumar Khapangi, the Ward President of Phalelung Rural Municipality Ward No. 5, the children attempted to break the object, first by hitting it with stones and then with a hammer. Tragically, when Dipsan struck the object with the hammer, it exploded, instantly killing both Dipsan and his sister Prinsa. Pawan and Dipsan Rai were injured in the blast and are currently receiving treatment.
The house where the explosion occurred belongs to Aitaraj Kerung, a local Maoist leader who is now residing in Phidim for business purposes. The family of Gyan Bahadur Rai, a laborer, has been living in the house since Aitaraj moved.
Security personnel believe the bomb was a leftover from Nepal’s armed conflict period. Senior Superintendent of Police Bhim Dahal from the Provincial Police Office in Biratnagar confirmed that the bomb was a homemade explosive, likely crafted during the conflict, and had become rusted over time. Following the explosion, another suspicious object was found at the site, prompting the arrival of a Nepali Army technical team to safely dispose of it.
Panchthar’s Chief District Officer, Bishnu Koirala, reiterated that the explosives were remnants from the old conflict, emphasizing that they were not of recent origin. The tragic incident has cast a shadow over the community, highlighting the lingering dangers of leftover war materials.
