Families of 14 people killed in the Makwanpur EV crash have refused to receive the bodies, demanding adequate compensation, an impartial investigation and legal action against those responsible.
Thirteen of the victims were from the same village in Chakraghatta Rural Municipality of Sarlahi, while six belonged to the same family. The victims included a one-year-old child who lost both parents.
Speaking to journalists outside Hetauda Hospital, former Madhesh Province finance minister Sanjay Yadav, representing the victims' families, said they would not allow post-mortem procedures to proceed or receive the bodies until their demands were addressed.
The families have called for the government to provide adequate relief and compensation in addition to compensation payable by the vehicle owner. They have also demanded an impartial investigation into the accident and legal action against those responsible.
Yadav said the families were dissatisfied with the response of the local administration, alleging that the chief district officer had urged them to receive the bodies after accepting compensation from the vehicle owner. The families argued that such compensation alone would not address the long-term needs of those who lost their family members.
He also raised concerns about the future of the one-year-old child who lost both parents, asking who would assume responsibility for the child's upbringing, nutrition and livelihood.
The families said the government should directly engage with them through the local administration and provide relief and compensation. They also called for measures to prevent similar accidents in the future.
The victims had been travelling to celebrate the Chhath festival when the accident occurred. Yadav criticised what he described as the government's failure to respond promptly to the victims' families and urged it to take an active role in supporting them.
