Last Updated: August 24, 2023, 11:26 IST
Nepal accideny: Police said the bus was carrying a total of 27 passengers, including two drivers and a helper. (Representative image: Reuters)
Tragic bus accident in Nepal’s Bara district claims 7 lives and leaves 19 injured. Preliminary investigation suggests driver fatigue as a possible cause
A bus carrying Indian pilgrims in Nepal’s Bara district overturned in the early hours of Thursday, resulting in the deaths of at least seven individuals, including six Indians. As many as 19 others sustained injuries in the bus that was en route from Kathmandu to Janakpur.
The bus overturned around 2 a.m. (local time) and plunged approximately 50 meters down a road, eventually landing at a riverbank south of Churiamai Temple in Simara Sub-Metropolitan City-22, The Kathmandu Post reported.
Among the casualties were one Nepali, hailing from Loharpatti in Mahottari district, and six Indian nationals from Rajasthan. The vehicle was reportedly carrying a total of 27 passengers, including two drivers and a helper.
Nepal law enforcement officials took three individuals into custody, including the bus driver, Jilami Khan, from Janakpur Sub-Metropolitan City-7 in the Dhanusa district. The detained also included the co-driver and the helper of the bus.
The detained driver and his colleagues had sustained injuries during the accident and were apprehended after receiving medical treatment in Janakpur. Local police officials said that the investigation into the incident is underway, and more details are awaited.
The preliminary probe suggests that the accident might have been triggered by driver fatigue. The bus, reportedly traveling at a high speed, met with the accident due to the driver falling asleep at the wheel.
The Nepali newspaper said that the injured passengers are currently undergoing treatment at several hospitals in Hetauda, located in the Makwanpur district.
