SINDHUPALCHOWK, Dec 16: At least 15 people were killed when a bus chartered by pilgrims met with an accident at ward 7 of Sunkoshi Rural Municipality in Sindhupalchowk district on Sunday morning.
All the deceased were returning to Bhaktapur from a pilgrimage to Kalinchowk Bhagawati in Dolakha district. The accident occurred when they were returning to Bhaktapur.
The ill-fated bus (Ba 4 Kha 4468) skidded off the highway and plunged some 70 meters from a bend at Chha Kilo area, leaving 15 dead and 19 injured. The accident occurred at around 7 am, according to police.
Sub-inspector Rajesh Dahal, the chief of the Area Traffic Police Office, informed that nine of the deceased were women, three were men, and three were children. He informed Republica that 12 passengers died on the spot while three died while receiving treatment. The identity of a deceased woman has yet to be ascertained, according to Dahal.
Update: Death toll in Sindhupalchowk bus crash climbs to 11, 30...
Of the injured, 14 are receiving treatment at HAMS Hospital in Kathmandu, three at Dhulikhel Hospital in Kavre, and one at KMC Hospital, Kathmandu. Likewise, an infant is receiving treatment at Sindhu Sadabahar Hospital, which is near the accident site. According to HAMS Hospital, most of the injured passengers are in critical condition. All the injured were referred to different hospitals in Kathmandu after first-aid treatment at Sindhu Sadabahar Hospital.
According to Sub-inspector Dahal, the accident occurred as the driver was not careful at the bend.
“The road in the area is wide and smooth. The bus appeared to be in good condition as it was new, and was not overloaded,” he said, adding that the accident occurred due to carelessness of the driver at the bend.
Meanwhile, some injured passengers suspect that some technical problems might have caused the accident. They said that the bus might have met with the accident due to brake failure.
Locals, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and Nepal Army were deployed at the incident site for rescue operation. Meanwhile, police said that the bus driver is on the run. Likewise, the owner of the bus Hari Prasad Makaju, a resident of Bhaktapur, is also out of contact, after the accident.
This is the third big accident in the district in the last three months.
In these major accidents, a total of 43 passengers have lost their lives, while 176 passengers were left injured.
On October 1, a bus belonging to Helambu Yatayat with registration number Ba 2 Kha 2715 met with an accident at Indrawati Rural Municipality, killing 11 from the same village. The accident left 106 passengers injured. A month later, on November 3, a bus (Ba 2 Kha 7245) plunged into the Sunkoshi River from Araniko Highway at Sukute leaving 18 passengers dead and more than 50 injured.
All the accidents reportedly happened due to carelessness of the drivers. The Indrawati accident occurred as the driver allegedly drove the bus even after becoming aware about problems with the brake system. Likewise, the bus that plunged into the Sunkoshi River was just repaired before the accident.
“Major accidents have occurred due to carelessness of the driver,” said DSP Madhav Prasad Kafle, spokesperson at the District Police Office, Sindhupalchowk. He also said that 75 percent accidents can be avoided if drivers become more careful.
Sindhupalchowk district has been witnessing major accidents since long. In the last 13 years, nine major road accidents have killed a total of 152 passengers, and left more than 325 injured in the district.
