Two committees formed to investigate Tripureshwor bus fire

Kathmandu, September 21, 2026 — Two separate committees have been formed to investigate the Tripureshwor bus fire in which 25-year-old driver Dawa Lama suffered serious burns.

The bus, bearing registration number Ba 5 Kha 4274, caught fire in front of the bus stop at Tripureshwor Chowk on Monday while Lama was inside. Police rescued him after breaking open the bus door and took him to the Burn Center in Kirtipur for treatment. He remains critically injured.

Superintendent of Police Naresh Raj Subedi of the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office confirmed the incident and said the cause of the fire was under investigation.

Police have said the circumstances were suspicious because Lama was inside the bus when it caught fire. The police investigation is continuing.

One of the two committees is led by Senior Superintendent of Police Ramesh Basnet of the Kathmandu Valley Police Office, Ranipokhari. The other is led by the Assistant Chief District Officer of Kathmandu.

The committees were formed after Lama allegedly set fire to the bus following a dispute with traffic police on Monday. The alleged dispute and its connection to the fire are among the circumstances being investigated.

Gen Z activist Ravikiran Hamal said the recurrence of such incidents should serve as a warning to state authorities. Referring to a recent case involving Ganesh Nepali in Tripureshwor, he said failure to address citizens’ concerns in a timely manner can push people toward despair.

Hamal said he had learned that Lama was involved in a minor dispute with traffic police in the Thapathali area before the incident. He questioned how citizens are treated by different state agencies.

“The circumstances of the two incidents may be different, but they raise a broader question about how citizens experience the state,” Hamal said.

Hamal said citizens’ grievances should be addressed through regular institutional mechanisms rather than waiting until people resort to extreme measures. He wished Lama a speedy recovery, called saving his life the immediate priority and urged an impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.