KATHMANDU: The last known location of 16 members of the Hayu family who went missing from Bhandas Bippar Kateri in Golanjor Rural Municipality–6, Sindhuli, has been traced to Ramechhap, according to mobile phone tracking data.
The family reportedly left their home either Thursday night or early Friday morning and crossed the Sunkoshi River toward Ramechhap. However, as of Monday, none of the family members’ phones have been reachable.
Ward Chair Rabin Shrestha stated that all contact numbers listed in the ward office records were found to be switched off. “When we attempted to reach them, all phones were switched off,” he told Khabarhub. “Coordinating with the police, we found their last location traced to the Ramechhap area.”
It was only on Monday morning that it was confirmed 16 members of Urmila Hayu’s family had gone missing. Local representatives suspect they may have disappeared on Thursday night or Friday morning.
According to Golanjor Rural Municipality spokesperson Regan Raj Thapa, the missing individuals include Urmila Hayu, her six sons, six daughters, one daughter-in-law, one granddaughter, and one son-in-law. The presence of the son-in-law was linked to a pig slaughter event held at the house on Thursday. While it was initially reported that 16 people had gone missing, Ward Chair Shrestha later clarified that the actual number has increased to 18.
When the police team and Ward Chair Shrestha reached the family’s house, located deep in the forest, they found the household abandoned. A dog was found whimpering, and the livestock, including buffaloes and goats, had been left unattended. The kitchen hut in the yard had been burned.
According to Shrestha, mobile phone tracking, with police assistance, placed the last known location in Ramechhap, though whether the family actually reached there remains unconfirmed. Attempts to call their numbers have failed, with all phones switched off.
Laxman Hayu, central president of the Hayu Association, stated that the family had just received a state allowance of approximately Rs 192,000 from the ward office on Thursday, as they are categorized under the endangered community list.
In a related development, Rajju Hayu, one of the family members, had reportedly returned from abroad just three days prior. According to President Hayu, the family had been living in a house that belonged to someone else, located in the middle of the forest. Locals suspect they may have relocated collectively. Meanwhile, Ward Chair Shrestha speculated that financial stress, including debts from cooperatives, may have driven the family to leave the village.
Comment