The incident occurred when a commuter jeep (Na 1 Ja 3294) en route to Jijodamandu from Bangdungrisain veered off the road and plunged some 400 meters at around 8:30, according to the police.Three of the deceased were professor at Padma Kanya Multiple Campus, Kathmandu. Dr Jaya Raj Panta, 62, his relative Guddi Panta, 55, and Sabitra Panta, 52, were professors at the campus. Jaya's other relatives, Dr Ganesh Raj Panta, and Keshab Raj Panta, 59, also died in the accident. They were heading to their ancestral home for special puja on the occasion of Nepali New Year.
Likewise, jeep driver Chetram Balayar of Banlek-1 of the district, Harina Tamata of Jigodamandu-8, and Janaki Tamrakar, 17, were also among the deceased.
All of them, apart from Tamrakar died on the spot. Tamrakar died while undergoing treatment at Dadeldhura Sub-regional Hospital, where other injured are receiving treatment.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Dilli Raj Bista of the District Police Office (DPO), Doti, said that the jeep was overloaded and that may have caused the accident.
"The roads where the accident occurred are very narrow, with lots of turns. Overloaded jeep coupled with difficult road may have led to the mishap," he said.
DSP Ramesh Thapa, chief of Attariya-based Regional Traffic Police Office, Kailali, said drivers are increasingly becoming negligent, leading to numerous road mishaps.
"Drivers are not only negligent while driving, they also do not maintain their vehicles, increasing the chances of accidents," he added.
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