BIRATNAGAR, April 2: At least four passengers died and 30 others injured when two passenger buses collided at Nimuwa of Morang district along the Koshi Highway on Wednesday.
Police said, two of the injured are in critical condition.
According to the District Police Office (DPO), Morang, a bus (Ko.1Kha 3805) en route to Biratnagar from Beltar collided with another bus (Ko.1Kha 4190) heading for Itahari from the opposite direction along the Biratnagar-Itahari section of the highway at around 9:30am.
According to DSP Shambhu Prasad Dhakal, spokesperson for DPO Morang, two passengers died on the spot, while the other two breathed their last while receiving treatment.
The deceased have been identified as Sumitra Devi Singh, 61, of Bihar India, Arun Kumar Jha, 52, of Saptari Chhinnamasta-8, Tilashanki Mandal, 50, of Sunsari Laukahi-7 while the identity of the other killed is yet to be ascertained.
Two killed, five injured in Morang road accident
The injured are receiving treatment at various hospitals in Biratnagar, namely Nobel Hospital, Golden Hospital, Birat Hospital and Neuro Hospital. The injured said the bus driver refused to slow down despite repeated requests.
"Preliminary investigation shows the bus coming from Beltar was over-speeding," said DSP Dhakal. He added that the bus drivers fled after the accident.
According to Sumitra Timilsina of Inaruwa, one of the injured, the bus she was in was over-speeding hastily and collided with the bus coming from the opposite direction while attempting to overtake another vehicle. Similarly, Jagendra Mandal of Inaruwa said the driver ignored repeated requests to slow down the vehicle.
Meanwhile, in Makwanpur district, a teenager was mowed down by a roller that was being used for blacktopping a road in Thaha municipality on Tuesday. Niraj Bista, 13, who was severely injured, died while being rushed to hospital. The police said the roller driver has fled after the incident.
2 die, one missing after falling off tube in Mahakali River
PREM CHUNARA,
DARCHULA, April 2: Two persons were killed and one went missing in Lali village of Darchula district on Wednesday when they fell off an inflated tube they had used to cross the Mahakali River.
Those killed in the incident have been identified as Kalawati Bhatta, 33 and Umanga Joshi, 2. Joshi’s mother Punam went missing after the incident.
According to DSP Nainsingh Karki, Harish Bhatta, 14, could be saved. “But we could not save the other two,” said Karki.
When the passengers on the tube were losing balance, Indian police on the border had come for their rescue. They rescued Kalawati, but she breathed her last while being rushed to hospital.
“It is not yet known how many people were travelling on the tube. They accident might have taken place due to overload,” said Karki.
A local Ramesh Awasthi claimed there were many people on the tube. “A tube can carry up to three people. But I saw as many as six people crossing the river on a single tube,” he said.
In lack of suspension bridges in many places in the region, dozens of people lose life to such accidents every year. “Mahakali River has swallowed many people. But people here have no choice as they need to cross the river to reach nearby markets,” said Awasthi
