Nepalese community gather in Marsa to commemorate traffic victim Ajay Shrestha

Around 500 people from the Nepalese community in Malta gathered in Marsa on Wednesday night to commemorate Ajay Shrestha, who died in a traffic accident earlier that same day. 

Members of the Nepalese community held a vigil near the site of the crash. They laid candles along the area and prayed. 

Photo: Bhuwan Aryal

Ajay Shrestha was identified as the food courier who died in a Marsa traffic accident on Wednesday morning. 

He was driving along Aldo Moro street in his delivery gear when a DAF truck hit the central strip and overturned into a nearby lane. 

As the truck overturned, it fell onto an electricity pole which hit the Nepalese motorcyclist. 

Tributes poured in for Shrestha soon after the accident happened. Members of the community described him as an avid cricket player who would often help with social activities carried out in Malta. 

Photo provided by Sandesh KC

Sandesh KC, President of the Nepalese People’s Relations Committee, described Shrestha as a hard worker who first came to Malta to provide for his family. 

He started working as a waiter and dishwasher, but eventually became food delivery courier when the pandemic started. 

“Every Nepali comes to Malta for their family. They even send money back to Nepal for their family. Shrestha was helping his family,” he said.  

Bhyuwan Aryal, President of the Non-Residence Nepali Association Malta, told MaltaToday that Shrestha’s body will remain at Mater Dei Hospital until a post-mortem is finalised. 

After this, and upon the go-ahead from the inquiring magistrate, the Nepalese community will try to send Shrestha’s body home to his family, where he will eventually be cremated. 

Due to hefty insurance payments and other repatriation costs, the association is accepting any help to raise funds and send the body back to Nepal.

Since these is no Nepali Embassy in Malta, Aryal said that they are in contact with the London embassy to organise the repatriation.