PALPA, March 4: Sunday night´s wedding bus accident that killed at least 15 people in Chhidipani VDC of Palpa district was caused by the driver´s negligence, police said on Monday.
According to DSP Sthaneshwar Regmi, Chief of the District Police Office of Palpa, bus driver Milan BK, who also died in the accident, had consumed alcohol at a roadside hotel while waiting for more participants of the wedding party. "Our preliminary investigation shows that the bus veered off the road as the driver could not control it," said DSP Regmi.[break]
Bishal Saru, one of the survivors of the accident, also confirmed what the police said. "The driver was drunk," said Saru. "We were frightened as the driver seemed unable to control the bus properly. We even asked him to drive the bus properly. But, he did not heed our suggestion. Eventually, the bus fell off the road."
According to Saru, many passengers did not take it seriously when BK drank as he was a member of the wedding party.
At around 9:30 pm Sunday, the bus (Lu 1 Kha 2795), which was carrying groom Roshan Charti and bride Bishnu Charti, among 43 other passengers, had met with an accident at Chidipani VDC-2 of Palpa district. The bus was heading toward Budhikot of Chidipani VDC from Aamdanda in Khanichhap VDC-7. The newly-wed couple has survived the accident.
Thirteen of the passengers had died on the spot while two breathed their last while undergoing treatment at the hospital. All the dead, except for driver BK, who hails from Humin of Palpa, are from Chidipani VDC-7 of Palpa. One of the dead is a seven-year-old boy.
"We hugged as bus plunged"
Seventeen years old Bishnu Charti (the bride), a resident of Chidipani VDC-7 in Palpa district, was in love with Roshan Charti, 22, who works in India. Bishnu, who studies at grade eight in a local school, had eloped with Roshan one month ago after her family did not give consent for marriage. After they tied the knot secretly, their families agreed to acknowledge their relationship.
On March 3, Bishnu and Roshan´s marriage was solemnized. The accident occurred when Roshan was formally taking Bishnu to his home. When the bus fell off the road, Roshan and Bishnu hugged each other tightly. "We hugged tightly and screamed aloud when the bus was falling down," said Bishnu, who is now undergoing treatment at the United Mission Hospital, Tansen.
While Bishnu sprang out of the rolling bus and hung from a cliff, Roshan fell into a gorge. Bishnu shouted for Roshan. And, Roshan climbed up the cliff. It was difficult for them to believe that they survived. "It was like a nightmare," said Roshan. "I called my brother-in-law to come for rescue."
Police struggled for over four hours in the night to rescue the injured. They had searched for dead bodies and injured with the lights of their mobile phones.
List of dead
Keshav Kumar Birkatta, 17,
Yogendra Charti, 25
Keshari Pun, 25
Bishnu Bahadur Charti, 25
Nabin Suryabanshi, 18
Luli Sara Sharu, 31
Ramesh BK, 16
Bedbahadur Birkatta, 60
Kamal Jargha, 7
Lok Bahadur Saru, 28
Nabina Suryabanshi, 16
Suraj Neupane, 28
Rama Devi Sharu, 25
Milan BK (driver)
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