Kathmandu, Feb 23: At least 17 people were killed and 24 others sustained injuries after a passenger bus met with a fatal accident in Nepal’s Dhading district in the early hours of Monday.
The incident occurred around 1:30 am at Bhaisigauda in Benighat-Rorang Rural Municipality–5 along the busy Prithvi Highway. According to police, the ill-fated bus, bearing registration number Ga 1 Kha 1421 (ग २ ख १४२१), was en route to Kathmandu from Pokhara when the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle.
The bus veered off the road and plunged down towards the Trishuli River, triggering a major rescue operation.
Rescue teams from the Disaster Management Training School of the Armed Police Force Nepal in Kurintar were immediately deployed to the site, along with trained divers. Personnel from the Nepal Police and the Nepali Army also joined the operation.
Authorities said the rescue efforts were severely hampered by darkness and the treacherous terrain along the riverbank. The bodies of the deceased victims remain at the accident site, and identification procedures are currently underway.
The injured passengers were rescued and rushed to nearby hospitals for medical treatment, according to Armed Police Force spokesperson DSP Shailendra Thapa.
The exact cause of the accident is yet to be determined, and police have launched a detailed investigation into the incident.
Further details are awaited as rescue and identification operations continue.
