CHITWAN/KALIKOT, Nov 30: At least twelve people died and several sustained injuries in two separate road accidents in Chitwan and Kalikot districts on Wednesday. Eight people were killed and 25 were injured when a bus plunged into the Trishuli River in Chitwan while four people died in a jeep accident in Kalikot district.
The bus (Lu 2 Kha 291) en route to Arghakhanchi from Kathmandu fell into the river after colliding with a truck (Na 6 Kha 4972) coming from the opposite direction. The bus plunged some 150 meters from the road into the Trishuli River at Chumlingtar of Ichhakamana Rural Municipality in Chitwan.
Seven persons had died on the spot while one died in the course of treatment in the capital, according to police.
The accident happened at around 9:15 am, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Shiva Sharma Acharya, spokesperson of the District Police Office (DPO), Chitwan.
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Nine among the injured are undergoing treatment at the old medical college in Bharatpur and four others have been taken to Kathmandu.
The truck driver and his help have also sustained minor injuries in the accident. The bus driver, Yam Bahadur Chhetri, of Kapilvastu is among the injured. He is undergoing treatment in Bharatpur. Police said they would be able to extract the details of the accident after the driver becomes fit enough to talk.
However, preliminary investigation shows over-speeding to be the most probable cause, informed Police Inspector Dharma KC of Area Police Office (APO), Mugling.
While the ticket sales records show that the bus had 26 passengers, police suspect more passengers might have boarded the bus on the way. The total number of passengers has already reached 33 after adding 25 injured and eight deceased. Police suspect the passenger number could be even higher.
Among the deceased are Nodaraj Adhikari of Arghakhanchi, presumably 52 years old; Ambar Bahadur Shahi, 33, of Dailekh; Krishna Dhakal, 50, of Bardaghat, Nawalparasi; Deepak Pandey, presumably 32, of Devdaha, Rupandehi; and Om Bahadur Sijapati, 39, of Kapilvastu.
Likewise, the jeep accident in which four people died, took place at Khandachakra Municipality-1 of Kalikot district. The site of the accident is near the district headquarters Manma. The jeep (Lu 2 Cha 2003) had skidded off the road and plunged around 500 meters from the road. Police have yet to identify the cause of the accident.
Six others sustained serious injuries in the accident, according to the DPO, Kalikot. The driver Indra Prasad Tharu of Banke succumbed to injuries in the course of treatment at the District Hospital, Kalikot.
Three people had died on the spot while one died in the course of treatment. The deceased are Nara Bikram Malla, 35, of Mugu Shrinagar-3, Yadu Raj Neupaney of Kartikswami-6, Jamla; and Jayarup Bhumi, 45, of Bhiee-7, Mugu.
A total of nine people including a new mother were on board the jeep.
