POKHARA: Four persons have lost their lives while 27 others have sustained injuries in a bus accident at Malika Rural Municipality-7 of Myagdi district on Sunday evening.

According to District Police Office (DPO), Myagdi, the passenger bus (Ga 1 Kha 4476) en route to Bima village of Malika-7 from Darbang lost control and fell some 200 metres below the road at Galaghanti turning at around 6:30 pm which led to on-the-spot death of the four passengers and injured the others.

The deceased have been identified as Satadevi Bhattachan (70), Aayusha Jugjali (11), Ravi Jugjali (9), all of Bima in Malika-7, and Bishnu Pandey of Kaligandaki Rural Municipality-2 in Gulmi district, informed Information Officer at Myagdi DPO, Police Inspector Dhruba Prasad Sharma.

Inspector Sharma added that they faced challenges in the rescue as it was being carried out during the night. The rescue operation was carried out by a team of police from Darbang-based Area Police Office, local representatives, and locals of the area.

Identities of all the injured are yet to be ascertained.

Those who have been identified are Rajman Darji (60), Hum Bahadur Jugjali (53), Pal Prasad Jugjali (38), Naradevi Pariyar (26), Dilu Sherpunja (26), Kristina Jugjali (6), Tanadevi Jugjali (61), Chandrakali Darji (60), Paladevi Jugjali (38), Suresh Jugjali (18), Leela Jugjali (31) of Bima, Malika-7; Anju Gharti (17) and Khim Maya Gharti (18) of Malika-4; Bisan Khatri (16) of Beni Municipality-9; Keshav Sharma Nyure (35) of Beni-3; Gaurav Poudel (17) and Pramish Poudel (19) of Beni-4; Bijaya Kandel (17) of Tarakhola Rural Municipality-5 of Baglung; Reelmaya Budha (18) of Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality-3 of Myagdi; and Ramila Khatri (22) of Mangala Rural Municipality-5 in Myagdi.

Among the injured, nine persons including Tek Bahadur Sarki of Mangala Rural Municipality-1 have been referred to Beni Hospital for further treatment, stated chief at Darbang Primary Health Centre Dr Tilak Gautam. He added that others with minor injuries have returned home after treatment at the primary health centre.