Surkhet-Kalikot, Nov 11: Seven people died and 13 others were injured when an overcrowded jeep carrying 20 passengers crashed at Raduneta of Palanta Rural Municipality-3 in Kalikot district on Sunday afternoon.
According to the police, six people died on the spot and one person died during treatment at the Karnali Province Hospital after the jeep with registration number Ka-1-Ja-56 en route to Palanta from Khin, veered off the road and plunged around 500 meters down at around 2:30 pm on Sunday.
According to passenger Jagat Rokaya, who survived the accident, the jeep could not climb up the hill of Raduneta and slid back down the slope. “The road was narrow, there were 21 people in the jeep which could not generate enough power for the climb,” he said.
Jeep accident in Kalikot: One dead, nine injured
Another injured passenger Kishore Thapa, who is undergoing treatment at the Karnali Province Hospital, said there were 15 passengers including the driver inside the bolero, while there were six passengers behind the bolero. “Even on the way up, some passengers were boarding the jeep,” he said, “None of those inside could get out, while those on the back of the jeep jumped off.”
According to Chief District Officer (CDO) of Kalikot Narayan Prasad Bhattarai, the passengers who died on spot have been identified as Padam Bam and Chhaya Shahi of Palanta Rural Municipality-5, as well as Kusum Kala Shahi of Palanta-6, Bhagwati Rokaya, Ganesh Shahi and Daman Rokaya of Palanta-3. He informed Republica that Dhaniram Rawat, 28, of Salyan, the driver, died in the province hospital while undergoing treatment.
According to Inspector Govinda Chaudhary of District Police Office (DPO), Kalikot, the jeep accident occurred as the vehicle was overcrowded and the road was narrow.
“Preliminary investigation has shown that the major cause of the accident was overcrowdedness and the steep and narrow nature of the road,” he informed Republica, “It was also a mistake on part of the driver to carry a high number of passengers on a road that was just opened merely two years ago.”
Binod Neupane, head of the health branch of Palanta Rural Municipality, said that the damage was reduced due to immediate rescue and first-aid operation by the local police and the helicopter rescue by the Nepalese Army.
The injured passengers including Kishore Thapa, Bijay Thapa, Ridam Thapa, Pratiksha Shahi and Ashish Rokaya of Palata Rural Municipality-6; and Dan Bahadur Rokaya, Nirmala Rokaya, Jagat Rokaya, Dolly BK, and Ayusha BK of Palata-3, were airlifted by the Nepalese Army chopper and taken to Karnali Province Hospital for treatment.
