Dedeldhura, November 23

Police investigating yesterday’s fatal accident in Dadeldhura have blamed overloading for the mishap.

As many as 18 persons died and 27 others were injured when a school bus carrying a group of revellers who were returning to Doti after observing a carnival at the Dadeldhura’s Ugratara temple met with an accident at Raduwakhola, Amargadhi Municipality, on the KI Singh Highway at around 6:30pm. The bus fell about 150 metres below the road into the Raduwakhola.

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police at District Police Office, Dadeldhura,  Dambar Bahadur KC, preliminary investigation has revealed that overload was the main cause behind the accident.

“It was apparently an accident caused by overload as the bus with a capacity of carrying 24 passengers had some 45 passengers. As there were more people than the bus’s capacity, the accident occurred when the brakes failed,” said DSP KC, adding though the bus had only 20 passengers while going to the temple, it got more people on board while returning.

While 11 persons died on the spot, four died while undergoing treatment at Dadeldhura Sub-regional Hospital and three others while being rushed for treatment.

Of the injured, 13 are being treated at Dhangadi-based Seti Zonal Hospital and Maya Metro Hospital. Similarly, while six are receiving treatment at Kohalpur Medical College, remaining eight are undergoing treatment at Dadeldhura Sub-regional Hospital.

Personnel of the Nepali Army, Armed Police Force, and Nepal Police, along with members of local club were involved in the rescue.

Meanwhile, the deceased have all been identified by now. They are: Chakra Dhami, 22, Tilak Khati, 20, and Tek Dhami, 27, of Nawadurga Rural Municipality, and Maya Rawal, 18, of Ganyapdhura Rural Municipality, Dadeldhura; Goda Bhat, 25, Kailash Rawal, 40, Yodrendra Rawal, 40, Rohit Balayar, 16, Yogendra Bohara, 22, Shankar Jora, 24, Sharada Rawal, 22, Sagar Balayar, 15, Padam BK, 24, of Shikhar Municipality and Shashi BK of Dipayal Municipality of Doti.

Puran Kathayat, 23, Keshav Kathayat, 21, and Narayan Chaudhary, 28, from Dhangadi Sub-metropolitan City and  Sharada Kathayat from Godawari Municipality also died in the mishap.

Meanwhile, the provincial government has pledged to bear all the treatment expenses of the injured. Chief Minister Trilochan Bhatta reached Seti Zonal Hospital and Metro Hospital to meet the injured today and pledged to bear the treatment cost of the injured.