Ilam, November 3:

An armed group robbed passengers of dozens of vehicles including buses, taxis and motorcycles at Kolbung of Ilam district last evening.

The gang of 15 persons robbed the passengers of four buses at Chinahdanda of Kolbung-9 at around 6 pm.

The looting continued for over an hour, said a passenger, Kumar Gurung.

Travel guide Sanu Lama said he was accompanying 15 tourists from The Netherlands to Panchthar on a bus when the gang robbed everything from the tourists. He said the gang also beat up a tourist when he tried to resist the robbers.

Other passengers said that the robbers also assaulted central president of the Federal Limbuwan Rajya Parishad Sanjuhang Palungwa and passengers Santosh Rai, Kumar Gurung, Chandra Rai and others.

Police Inspector at the Pashupatinagar area police office Milan KC said a passenger Harka Bahadur Basnet of Urlabari-3 in Morang district, who was aboard a taxi, was robbed off Rs 10,000 cash and a gold chain. The robbers also inflicted a serious injury on his head.

Inspector KC said that bus conductor Ranjit Rajbanshi was robbed off Rs 50,000. Rayamajhi alongwith the driver, Chandra Bahadur Rai, sustained serious injuries when the robbers

assaulted them.

The injured are being treated at Kanchanjunga Hospital at Birtamod.

Meanwhile, police said over a dozen motorcyclists were also robbed. Police added that the details of the robbery were yet to come.