DAMAULI: Two persons died and six others sustained injuries after the jeep they were travelling on fell below the road in Rishing Rural Municipality-1 of Tanahun district on Monday.

The deceased have been identified as driver Hom Bahadur Shrestha (25) of Myagde Rural Municipality-7 and Raj Kumar Shrestha (58) of Byas Municipality-5, both in Tanahun district.

Tanahun District Police Office (DPO) identified the injured as Santa Kumar Shrestha (49), Madhusudan Shrestha (52), Ram Kumar Shrestha (51), Ananta Kumar Shrestha (45) and Aarati Shrestha (40), all the residents of Chapaghat in Byas-5; and Sangita Shrestha (34) of Byas-4.

Traffic police personnel inspects the vehicle that met with an accident in Rishing Rural Municipality-1 of Tanahun district on Monday, September 7, 2020. Photo: Madan Wagle/THTThe jeep (Ga 1 Ja 7128) ferrying passengers from Harkapur to Khalte skidded off the road near Mastighat, and plunged about 70 metres into Deurali River this morning, according to in-charge of Tanahun District Traffic Police Office, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Resham Bahadur Ranabhat.

DSP Yubaraj Timilsena at the DPO said that the rescued passengers were rushed to different hospitals in Damauli for the treatment. The driver, who was trapped in his seat, was found dead on the spot by rescuers, according to  DSP Ranabhat.

Medical Superintendent at Damauli Hospital, Dr Sunil Poudel informed that one of the injured Raj Kumar succumbed to his injuries in course of the treatment at the hospital.

Four of the injured said to be in critical condition have been referred to a hospital in Pokhara while two others are undergoing treatment in Damauli.

Meanwhile, bodies of the deceased have been kept at Damauli Hospital for the postmortem, police informed.