7 pilgrims injured in Parbat bus accident

PHALEBAS, PARBAT: As many as seven persons were injured after the bus they were travelling on met with an accident in Kushma Municipality-8 of Parbat district on Friday morning.

The injured have been identified as Lilanath Pudasaini (65), Maya Pudasaini (60), both of Changunarayan Municipality-10 of Bhaktapur district; Urmila Upreti (38), Ananta Upreti (43), and Binda Lohani (36), of Kathmandu Metropolitan City-16; Sudarshan Karki (24) of Panauti Municipality-6 in Kavre district; and Sneha Gurung (15) of Chusang Rural Municipality-4 in Mustang.

According to police, the incident occurred when the bus (Ba 4 Kha 5788) carrying pilgrims from Kathmandu to Muktinath of Mustang district met with an accident in Chuwa at 4:30 am today.

There were 26 passengers on board at the time of the accident, according to Traffic Police Constable Sudeep Sapkota at the District Traffic Police Office, Parbat.

The injured are undergoing treatment at the Parbat-based District Hospital with majority of them sustaining injuries on their neck, hands and legs, informed District Police Office, Parbat.

Police, after the preliminary investigation, suspect the driver falling asleep while driving might have been the cause of the accident.

Meanwhile, police have detained the bus driver for further investigation, informed Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Dillip Ghimire of District Police Office, Parbat.