Five dead, 25 injured in Pyuthan bus accident

BHIMDATTANAGAR, May 13: A passenger bus veered off a road at Pakuri area of Sarumarani rural municipality – 4 killing at least five commuters and injuring more than 25 people.

The ill-fated bus (Na 4 Kha 1876) had left for Pyuthan from Mahendranagar of Kanchanpur on Saturday.

The bus plunged downhill from a cliff at around 3 am this morning killing five passengers on the spot, said Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Rajendra Pokharel of District Police Office, Pyuthan. Pokhrel had led a team of 40 police personnel for rescue immediately after receiving the information of the accident.

Pokharel added that among the dead three are women and two men including the bus driver. Of the 25 passengers who sustained injuries, five are receiving treatment in Butwal while the rest were rushed to the District Hospital Pyuthan.

According to the injured the bus met with the accident after the head light of the bus stopped working.

The injured ones are identified as Tirthraj Pokharel, 38 from Mallarani rural municipality, Tara Bista, 45, from Aglung, Gulmi, Hima Bohora, 25, Jagadish Khatri, 25 and Rigal Khatri, 2 from Dullu-11, Dailekh, Ishwar Khadka, 26 from Pyuthan-3, Sunil RanaMagar, 23 from Mahendranagar, Kanchanpur Bedkot-6, Sushma Chaudhary,20 from Mallarani Chujathati, Prakash Sawat from Baitadi Puchaudi-6, Rajendra Prasad Timalsina, 73, from Chitwan Chitraban-17, Sher Bahadur BK, 44 and Sapana BK, 16 from Rolpa Suwardawati-2, Thamjit BK, 15 from Gaumukhi-4, Rajesh Chaudhary, 22 from Kailali Gaurigaga, Prem KC from Jhimruk-3, and Goma Giri, 49 from Dahakhola-10, Pyuthan. They are ongoing treatment at District hospital, Bijuwar.

Likewise, Basanta Sharma, 38 from Mandavi-1, Hari Sunar,25 from Rolpa Suwardawati-2, Safal Aryal, 7 from Dailekh Dullu-11, Gobinda Aryal and Himala Pokharel from Rupandehi Kanchan-3 are referred for further treatment.

Authorities are yet to determine the identities of the deceased. Police are still struggling to retrieve the body of one of the dead passengers, who is trapped inside the bus.