SINDHULI, OCT 13 - At least 42 passengers were killed and 16 others injured when an overcrowded passenger swerved from the road and fell into the Sunkoshi River bank at Jhagajholi-6, Sindhuli district, along the BP Highway on Thursday morning.
Photo Courtesy: Er. P. Dinesh
The ill-fated bus (Na 3 Kha 9412), bound for the Capital from Sindhuli, skidded off the road and fell some 110 meters down, leaving 27 male and 13 female passengers dead. One injured, Birbahadur Tamang, 50, of Bandipur, died while undergoing treatment at Dhulikhel hospital this afternoon.
Security personnel and locals hustled to the incident site following the accident.
The other deceased, except for bus driver Prem Tamang, have not been identified yet.
It has been reported that there were passengers traveling even on the roof of the bus. Police have believed that the bus could have met with the accident as it was carrying more passnegers than its capacity.
Six person traveling on the roof managed to save their lives by jumping off the bus, witnesses said.
Most of the passengers were returning to the Capital after celeberating Dashain festival.
Meanwhile, a team headed by Chief District Officer Beni Nadhav Gyawali reached the accident site for further investigation.
The injured are undergoing treatment at hospitals in Dhulikhel and Kathmandu.
Meanwhile, CPN-UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal has demanded the government provide relief to the victims of those deceased in the accident. Speaking at the Legislature-Parliament today, the UML chairman has also expressed his condolence to the departed souls.
The details of the incident as informed by P. Dinesh, Engineer at Hazama Ando Consortium (HAC) Site Office Mulkot, from the scene
The accident occurred at 10:15 AM
Registration Number: Na 3 Kha 9412
Vertical Height: 110 m landed at the Sunkoshi river bank
Spot Dead: 40 persons
Hospitalized: 16 person (unknown about their current status at Dhulikhel hospital)
Six persons jumped off the bus and saved life
Total passengers: 60 plus
Rescuing teams:
HAC members and equipment, locals and police
Cause of accident:
1. New bus from different routes
2. Dashain time, overload 60+ passengers
3. This is only a track load, under construction the route do not hold such a big load, brake efficiency and brake shoe automatically looses its power climbing up and down with such a heavy load.
Photo Courtesy: Er. P. Dinesh
