SINDHULI: Sixteen members of a single family have gone missing from Golanjore Rural Municipality-6 in Sindhuli district, prompting a police investigation into their sudden and unexplained disappearance.
According to local authorities, the family of Urmila Hayu, residents of Bhandas Bhippar Kateri, have been out of contact since Sunday night. Their absence was reported to police on Monday morning by neighbors who discovered the house abandoned.
A joint team from the District Police Office and local representatives reached the site shortly after the report. The house was found deserted, with livestock, including goats, chickens, and buffalo, left untended. A kitchen shed next to the main house was partially burned, though the cause of the fire remains unknown.
District Police Chief SP Lal Dhwaj Subedi confirmed that none of the family members were present at the scene and that initial signs point to an abrupt and mysterious departure.
“There is no evidence of their whereabouts. All animals were found abandoned, and no family member has been traced so far,” he said.
Ward Chair Rabin Shrestha said the Hayu residence is located in an isolated forested area, about 20 minutes’ walk from the nearest house. He noted that the family, categorized as belonging to an endangered indigenous group, included Urmila Hayu, her children, in-laws, grandchildren, and sons-in-law.
The family had recently visited the rural municipality to collect social security benefits, and local officials estimate they may have been missing for at least two days before the case was reported.
Shrestha said signs of disturbance were evident in the house, with a dog found crying at the window and household items in disarray. The police have begun a formal investigation, but no foul play has yet been confirmed.
Authorities have appealed to the public for any information regarding the family’s disappearance. Police say the search operation remains ongoing.
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