Summary:
Santa Bahadur Shrestha, known as “Tyre Kanchha,” is a 62-year-old vehicle recovery expert who has spent decades pulling vehicles from cliffs and rivers along Nepal’s highways. For the past twelve days, he has been working tirelessly to retrieve a Ganapati Deluxe bus buried in sand at the bottom of the Trishuli River in Tanahun district. The bus was swept away by a massive landslide on July 12, 2024, and remains half-buried in the riverbed. Despite the difficult and dangerous conditions—strong currents, shifting sand, freezing water, and no access roads—Shrestha and his team use chain pulley equipment to haul the wreckage. This recovery is considered the most challenging he has faced in over 40 years, with previous recoveries usually taking five to six days.
Shrestha started as a hospital guard and later learned tyre repair and vehicle recovery, eventually opening his own business and building a home from his work earnings. Now, he runs Milan Chain Pulley with his son, who is being trained to continue the work. Shrestha has earned respect throughout Nepal for his resilience and skill, often called to recover vehicles from difficult locations. He acknowledges support from the Nepali Army, Armed Police Force, and Nepal Police in this latest operation.
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