Palpa mishap death toll reaches 26

Palpa, August 21:

Death toll in yesterday’s bus accident in Palpa reached 26 with one more death today. According to police, Sher Singh Thapa, 40 of Jubhung -3, Gulmi succumbed to injuries while undergoing treatment at Mission Hospital in Tansen this evening.

Yesterday, 25 persons were killed and 45 others injured when the passenger bus, Lu 1 Kha 3076, heading Tamghas from Butwal skidded off the road at Laghuwa in Palpa.

Among the injured, five passengers have still not gained consciousness, said manager at the Mission Hospital, Bhubaneswor Devkota. Eighteen of the injured have already returned home after treatment.

Meanwhile, today nine persons killed in the accident were identified as nine-month-old Ashwani Khatri of Gulmi Devisthan, Sabitra Devi Khadka, 50, of Baletaksar, Gulmi, Bal Bahadur Rasali, 25, of Pallikot, Gulmi, Ram Prasad Khanal, 45, of Saufarsatik, Rupandehi, Hari Kala Ghimire, 62, and Sapana Ghimire, 21, of Gaindakot, Gulmi, Harka Bahadur Rana, 60, of Kalikakot-5, Syangja, Rudi Adhikari, 44, of Wangla, Arghakhanchi, Mina Khatri, 18, of Gulmi.

Three bodies are yet to be identified and if nobody comes to claim till tomorrow morning we will have to perform their last rites because the bodies are decomposing, said DSP at Palpa district police office, Bhim Prasad Dhakal.

Meanwhile, political parties and organisations in the district, in separate press releases, have

expressed sadness over the incident.

MPs from Palpa, Som Prasad Pandey and Yadav Bahadur Rayamajhi said those injured and who could not be treated in Tansen should immediately be brought to hospitals in Kathmandu and the government should cover their medical expenses.