Six killed in Sunsari ambulance-truck collision

UDAYAPUR: As many as six persons including two of the same family died after the ambulance they were travelling on collided with a truck in Koshi Rural Municipality-7 of Sunsari district on Saturday night.

The incident occurred when the truck (Na 2 Kha 9082) en route to Biratnagar from Birgunj and the ambulance (Ko 1 Cha 9363) en route to Ghaighat from Biratnagar collided head-on at around 12:30 am at Haripur along the East-West Highway of Sunsari district, killing six travelling on the ambulance, informed Superintendent of Police (SP) Bir Bahadur Budha at District Police Office, Udayapur.

The ambulance was ferrying Shiva Maya, who died during treatment at Biratnagar-based Golden Hospital, back home when the incident occurred.

Police have identified the deceased as Durgadhan Rai (34), and Tekendra Rai (28) both sons of Shiva Maya, and their relatives Tul Bahadur Rai (50), Dinesh Rai (31), and Mukesh Rai (35), all resident of Khasi Tol, Bokse in Triyuga Municipality-10, and ambulance driver, Rajesh Danuwar of Rajabash, Triyuga Municipality-9 of Udayapur district.

The truck driver, who is yet to be identified, was injured in the incident and is receiving treatment at Sunsari-based Inarawa District Hospital, while the bodies of the deceased have also been sent to the same hospital for the postmortem.

The ambulance has been destroyed in the incident while the truck sustained some damages to its front.

An investigation into the case is underway, informed police.