CHITWAN: One of the two injured persons in Chitwan truck accident, Suraj Shrestha has died during the course of treatment at the Bharatpur-based College of Medical Sciences this afternoon while Sonam Lama remained in critical condition, said police.

Lama and Shrestha were injured after the truck ( Na 5 Kha 9946) they were aboard en route for Hetauda from Kathmandu plunged into the Trishuli River at Lewatar this morning.

Police are searching for the truck driver who fled the scene just after the incident.

(UPDATED)

Truck plunges into Trishuli river, two rescued

CHITWAN: Two persons were injured when a truck fell some 60 metres below the road and plunged into the Trishuli river in Ichhakamana Rural Municipality-4 along the Prithvi Highway in Chitwan district this morning.

The injured have been identified as Suraj Shrestha and Sonam Lama of Hetauda Sub Metropolitan-14 in Makawanpur district. The duo appeared to be in their early 20s, said police.

The truck ( Na 5 Kha 9946) en route to Hetauda from Kathmandu skidded off the road at Lewatar injuring Shrestha and Lama at 7:00 am today, according to Superintendent of Police (SP) Deepak Thapa at the Chitwan District Police Office.

The injured have been taken to the College of Medical Sciences in Bharatpur for treatment.

A person was seen running away from the incident site, an eye witness told police,  said SP Thapa.

Police suspected that the individual could have been the truck driver. The vehicle is partially submerged into the river.

The Disaster Management Battalion of Kurintar-based Armed Police Force has been mobilised to the incident site.

The cause of the accident is yet to be known.

(With inputs from Rastriya Samachar Samiti)