Rukum, March 3:

Eight persons were killed and seven injured when a van met with an accident at Dhyaunne of Sanapakha Village Development Committee in Rukum district this afternoon.

The ill-fated vehicle with 17 passengers on board skidded off the road and fell 10 metres down into the Sani Bheri river. A police team from Batikot Village Development Committee and Khalanga rescued the victims.

Three of the deceased have been identified as Laljit Magar, Tek Bahadur Magar and Ek Bahadur Thapa, according to the Rukum District Police Office.

“Effort is going on to ascertain the identities of the rest of the deceased,” Deputy Superintendent of Police at Rukum District Police Office Rabindra Bahadur Dhanuk said. He also said that a staffer of the Rukum District Forest Office also died in the incident. But his identity is yet to be ascertained, Dhanuk added.

The injured are undergoing treatment at a local health post. The incident site lies at a walking distance of five hours from district headquarters.