Panel to probe Sarangkot bus accident

Six persons had died and 54 others were injured when a bus heading to Pokhara from Guntechaur, Kaski, met with an accident in Sarangkot yesterday.Of the injured, nine have been airlifted to the Capital for further treatment while the remaining are being treated at different health facilities in Pokhara itself.

According to Chief District Officer Krishna Bahadur Raut, a seven-member committee led by Transportation Management Office Gandaki Chief Bharat Poudel comprising representatives of the concerned transportation entrepreneurs committee, district administration, DDC and police administration will investigate and furnish the report in two weeks.

The committee interrogated the driver and will make a field study of the accident site and question accident victims as well.

Police today detained eight persons who had reached Kaski district police office demanding probe into the accident and compensation to families of the deceased and free treatment for the injured. “As they began acting tough we had no other option,” said SP Hari Bahadur Pal. A meeting between representatives of Prithvi Highway Bus Operators Committee and kin of accident victims over compensation ended inconclusively today.