In Brief:

• Auto-rickshaw collided with school bus at 9:45 pm in Belaka-5
• Two women killed, including 34-year-old Mandira Magar; one identity pending
• Three injured: auto driver Indra Thapa Magar, Roshan Magar (serious), Ajit Gurung (moderate)
• Bus driver in custody, vehicles seized; police investigation ongoing

UDAYAPUR, AUGUST 24 Two women died and three others were injured after an auto-rickshaw collided with a school bus in Belaka Municipality-5 of Udayapur on Monday morning. The accident occurred at around 9:45 am when an auto-rickshaw (Ko Pra 05-001 Ha 0613) travelling from Supade towards Lalbazar collided with a bus (Ko 1 Kha 3516) of Safal Adarsha English Boarding School travelling in the opposite direction. Among the deceased was 34-year-old Mandira Magar of Maini in Belaka-5. The identity of the other deceased woman, who was travelling in the auto, has not yet been established. Both women were taken to BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Ghopa, in Dharan, where they were pronounced dead at around 11:45 pm while undergoing treatment, according to police. The injured are 28-year-old auto driver Indra Thapa Magar and 18-year-old Roshan Magar, both from Belaka-5, who are in serious condition, and 19-year-old Ajit Gurung of Biratnagar Metropolitan City-12, who is in moderate condition. Police teams from the Area Police Office Rampur Thoksila and Lalbazar Police Post rescued the injured and took them to a local hospital before referring them to the Ghopa hospital for further treatment. The auto has been kept under the control of Lalbazar Police Post, while the bus and its driver, 36-year-old Bikram Thapa of Belaka-5, are in police custody. Police said further investigation into the accident is underway.