Bodies of 25 Indian tourists killed in Tanahun bus accident flown to Mumbai via Indian Air Force aircraft

Published On: August 24, 2024 09:40 PM NPT By: Samiksha Shrestha

Indian tourist bus that fell in Marsyangdi river has been pulled out

KATHMANDU, Aug 24: The bodies of 25 Indian citizens who died in the Marsyangdi bus accident at Aaina Pahara in Tanahun district have been sent to Mumbai by an Indian Air Force aircraft. The aircraft departed from Bharatpur Airport in Chitwan on Saturday afternoon with 25 bodies out of 27 that underwent post-mortem.

Indian Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Raksha Nikhil Khadse, was also on board the Indian Air Force aircraft. According to the Chitwan District Administration Office, the bodies of the driver and helper, who died in the accident, were taken by ambulance to Gorakhpur by road. Chief District Officer of Chitwan, Indradev Yadav said that since the houses of the deceased bus driver and helper were near the Nepali border, they were transported by ambulance.

Minister of State Khadse arrived in Kathmandu on Saturday to assess the condition of the injured and to facilitate the repatriation of the dead bodies. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had sent Minister Khadse to Kathmandu.

Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak also briefed Indian Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Raksha Nikhil Khadse, about the bus accident that occurred on Friday. Home Minister Lekhak provided Indian Minister Raksha Nikhil Khadse with information about the damage, rescue efforts and treatment of the injured from the passenger bus accident during a meeting held at the Home Ministry on Saturday morning.

Both Home Minister Lekhak and Indian Minister Khadse also visited Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital to gather information about the condition of the injured.

Speaking at a brief program held at the ministry afterwards, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak described the incident as a tragic event. He expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and wished for the speedy recovery of the injured.

“We will leave no stone unturned for the treatment of those injured,” Minister Lekhak said. “Immediately after the accident, security personnel were deployed for the rescue efforts.”

Indian Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Khadse expressed gratitude for the effective management from rescue to treatment by the Nepali government following the accident. She also praised the doctors for their active role in the treatment of the injured.

“My own relatives were also among those who died in the accident,” she said. “I thank all the security personnel, healthcare workers and everyone involved in the rescue efforts,” she said.

According to the Home Ministry, three of the injured are in the ICU while the others are in general wards and their conditions are improving.

Bus pulled 10 meters out of the river

The Indian passenger bus that fell into the Marsyangdi River from Aina Pahara in Anbu Khaireni Rural Municipality-4, Tanahun, has been pulled 10 meters out of the river with the help of a crane.

On Saturday, a security team of 52 personnel, led by an Armed Police Force Inspector from the No-23 Mankamana Battalion and the Disaster Management Training School, Kurintar, pulled the bus out of the water, according to DSP and Deputy Spokesperson Shailendra Thapa.

“A private crane from Damauli was used to pull the bus out. Although it was removed from the water, it hasn't been possible to bring it to the road due to the difficult terrain,” he said. “The operation to retrieve the bus will continue on Sunday.”

On Friday, the Indian bus UP 53 FT 7623 carrying 43 pilgrims fell into the Marsyangdi river at Aina Pahara located in Anbu Khaireni rural municipality-4 of Tanahun. A total of 27 people died in that accident. Sixteen people were injured in the accident. All the passengers in the bus were from Maharashtra and had entered Nepal by bus from Uttar Pradesh.

The passengers on the ill-fated bus were part of a larger group of 104 Indian pilgrims from Bhusal village in Jalgaon district of India’s Maharashtra State. They had arrived in Nepal two days earlier for a 10-day tour. The group, traveling in three buses, had reached Pokhara on August 21 and stayed there at Hotel Sports Nepal for two days before heading to Kathmandu on Friday morning. Tragically, one of these buses met with the accident, according to police officials.

Nepal PM condoles deaths in tragic bus accident, PM Modi announces Rs 200,000 ex-gratia for each victim

Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli expressed his condolences for the bus accident, calling it "tragic," in a post on X. He wrote, "Deeply saddened by the tragic bus accident in Abu Khaireni, Tanahun, which claimed the lives of 27 Indian citizens traveling from Pokhara to Kathmandu. My heartfelt tributes to the victims and condolences to their families, including Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji.”

In response, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 200,000 from the Prime Minister National Relief Fund for the next of kin of each deceased in the accident in Tanahun district, Nepal. Additionally, the injured will receive Rs 50,000, as announced by the PMO on X.