Khotang, April 12

As many as 24 persons were killed on the spot and 31 injured when a passenger bus met with an accident at Barkhetar of Mahadevsthan VDC, along Halesi-Diktel section of Mid-hill Lokmarga, in Khotang this morning.

The bus went out of control and fell some 150 metres down the road when the driver tried to avoid a pile of boulders kept at the gravelled road, according to an eyewitness.

Seven women and a five-year-old boy were among those killed in the accident that occurred at 8:00am today. The bus was headed to Kathmandu from Diktel and met with accident some 25 km from Diktel.

The deceased include bus driver Arjun Upreti, Santosh Katwal, Govind Timsina, Rabin Rai, Major Rai, Mitra Kumari Rai, Bimala Rai, Bhairav Rai, Drawin Rai, Shanta Rai, Omshree Rai, Som Sundas, Hem Sunuwar, Bhaju Narayan Shrestha and Sushma Rai.

The identity of other deceased is yet to be ascertained, said Inspector Saroj Rai.

Bodies have been sent to District Hospital Diktel for post-mortem. Most of the deceased were workers deployed for the upgradation of Hurlung-Jalapa road section.

The bus departed from Diktel headquarters with 18 passengers at 5:00am but was soon carrying 55 passengers, with more people boarding the bus from Hurlung section of the road. “Carrying 55 passengers against its capacity of 33 may also have led to the accident,” said Pramod Shrestha, an eyewitness.

As many as 23 passengers were critically injured and were airlifted to Kathmandu by the Nepali Army helicopter for further treatment. Eight others are being treated at health centres in the district.

Personnel of NA, Nepal Police and APF and locals carried out rescue operation.