The bus (Lu 1 Kha 2795) carrying wedding guests from Amdanda, Khanichhap-7 to Budhikot, Chidipani, met with the accident at Dhaireni, Chidipani-2 here in the district at around 9:30 pm. [break]
Around 45 people were on the bus when the mishap happened. The bus driver Milan BK had consumed alcohol at a hotel while waiting for the guests at Ramdi before driving the bus to the destination. “The bus seemed to have lost control in several places,” Bishal Saru, who got injured in the accident, told Republica at around 2 am in Mission Hospital, Tansen where is undergoing treatment.
“Four of us were on the top of the bus. Our bus went from left to the right side of the road and crashed into a parapet. Losing control, it hit three or four more parapets before finally falling some 300 meters down from the road”, the victim said.
The bride was hurled out of the bus as it began rolling over down the hillside. The bridgegroom was still inside. “Just when the bus was about to leave the road, he (the bridegroom) embraced me tightly. We both screamed,” the bride Bishnu Charti, who has also been admitted at the same hospital, said. She recalled: “When I got stuck on the cliff, I called his name aloud. He screamed back from down the cliff. We managed to find each other and then stayed holding each other there only."
Police, who reached the site soon after the incident, carried out rescue works. Nepal Army personnel reached the site at around 1 am today. All injured were rescued and the dead bodies were collected by Monday morning. 34 people were killed in a road accident at the same place some five years ago.
List of fatalities
1. Keshab Kumar Birkatta, 17, Chidapani 7
2. Yogendra Chati, 25
3. Keshari Pun, 25
4. Bishnu Bahadur Chati, 25
5. Navin Suryabamshi, 19
6. Lulisara Saru, 30
7. Ramesh BK, 26
8. Bed Bahadur Birkatta, 60
9. Kamal Jargha, 7
10. Lok Bahadur Saru, 28
11. Navina Suryabamshi, 16
12. Milan BK, 30 (the driver)
13. Suraj Neupane, 28
14. Amar Bahadur Jargha, 65
15. Ramadevi Saru, 25
Pictures from the accident site.
The wreckage of the bus after the accident.
Police and locals rescuing an injured man.
Police bring an injured person up to the road
An injured woman receiving treatment at Mission Hospital, Palpa.
(All photos by Tek Narayan Bhattarai/ Republica)
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