Dream of twin siblings to attend International Olympiad ends in tragedy
The siblings had participated in the National Astronomy Olympiad 2024, organized by the Nepal Astronomical Society.
KATHMANDU: Dipesh Bhattarai and Deepika Bhattarai, twin siblings from Galyang Municipality-3, Syangja, were students of Grade 10 at Kalika Manav Gyan Secondary School in Butwal.
The siblings had participated in the National Astronomy Olympiad 2024, organized by the Nepal Astronomical Society.
After being selected in the first round, they were set to travel to Bangladesh for the second phase of the competition.
To prepare for this, Dipesh and Deepika, along with their mother Sita Bhattarai, were on their way to Kathmandu on Friday.
Sita Bhattarai had one wish — for her son Dipesh and daughter Deepika to become champions of the Astronomy Olympiad.
Her children shared that dream, turning it into their own goal. Sadly, their mother’s wish and the dreams of the siblings met a tragic end at Jhable Khola, located on the border of Kathmandu and Dhading.
They had boarded a microbus (Winger) with the registration number Lu 1 Ja 4578, heading to Kathmandu from Butwal.
Unfortunately, they never reached their destination.
The bus was buried by a landslide at Jhable Khola in Dhading, claiming the lives of Dipesh, Deepika, their mother Sita, and 14 others, including the driver of the vehicle.
