UDAYAPUR: At least four persons died on the spot and five others sustained injuries after a jeep they were travelling on, fell below the road in Katari Municipality -11 of Udayapur district this afternoon.

The Tata Sumo jeep (Na 1 Ja 3104) heading to Okhaldhunga from Katari of Udayapur district plunged about 500 metres onto a rivulet channel killing four passengers aboard and injuring five others at Lakse Thanti Pahiro, at around 1:00 pm today, according to the Superintendent of Police (SP) Nawaraj Bhatta at the District Police Office, Udayapur.

A team of security personnel deployed from the Katari-based Area Police Office have rescued the injured passengers.

The driver of the ill-fated vehicle fled the scene after the accident. However, police have presumed that the incident may have occurred due to the brake failure.

The effort is on to retrieve the bodies from the channel, with the help of locals, said police.

It is being arranged to send the injured to a health institution, informed police.

Road accidents in Nepal, which is mostly covered with mountains, are generally blamed on poorly maintained vehicles and road conditions.

READ ALSO:

• Bus plunges into Trishuli river in Dhading, killing at least 31