JAJARKOT: At least three persons died and 27 others sustained injuries after the bus they were travelling on veered off the road and fell below at a turn in Bheriganga Municipality-5 of Surkhet district today morning.

Karnali Province Police Office based in Surkhet identified two of the deceased, both women, as Laxmi Basnet (25) of Sakla in Barekot Rural Municipality-7 and Hajari Badi (51) of Khagenjot area in Nalagad Municipality-7, both in Jajarkot district. Police are yet to establish the identification of another deceased who appeared to be in her early 50s.

Bus driver Khim Bahadur BK of Banagad Kipandedaha Municipality-11 in Salyan district and his assistant Bhola Pariyar of Aathbiskot Municipality-11 in Rukum are among 27 persons injured in the incident.

According to spokesperson at the provincial police office, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Loknath Timsina, the list of injured includes Ram Bahadur Bohora of Tripurasundari Municipality-6 in Dolpa district; Lalita Khadka of Aathbiskot Municipality-9; Janak Bohora and four-year-old Suryakant Bohora, both residents of Aathbiskot-6 in Rukum; Karna Budha of Mudkechulagaun Rural Municipality-5, Tika Prasad Gautam of Chaurajahari Municipality -2 in Rukum; Chankhe Badi of Nalagad-2; and Ram Bahadur Shahi of Nalagad-13.

Likewise, others injured in the road accident are Karna Bahadur BK and Kumari BK of Aathbiskot-6; Indian national Baddukha Gujran of Baharaij; Tila Badi, one-year-old Smarika Badi, 12-year-old Sandhya Badi, all three from Nalagad-2; Tasbis Nepali of Aathbiskot-13; Indra Prakash Malla of Aathbiskot-14; Lal Bahadur Basnet of Sanobheri Rural Municipality; Govinda Badi and Madan Badi of  Nalagad-2; Reshma Singh Basnet, seven-month-old Sushmita Basnet and seven-year-old Tara Basnet of Barekot Rural Municipality-2.

Meanwhile, all the injured are undergoing treatment at Nepalgunj-based Kohalpur Medical College and Nepalgunj Nursing Home.

Likewise, Dhiraj Budha of Mudkechula Rural Municipality-7 in Dolpa; Sapana Malla of Chamunda Bindrasaini Municipality-9 in Dailekh; two-year-old Jenisha Thapa and Kamal Shahi of Mudkechuloa Rural Municipality-1 in Dolpa are undergoing treatment at the nursing home.

All the persons aboard the bus were hurt except a one-and-a-half-year-old child, the DSP informed.

The bus (Na 4 Kha 9317)  heading towards Nepalgunj from Radi Bazaar in Aathbiskot Municipality of West Rukum ran out of control at a turn in Harre and fell about 100 metres below the road. The bus had started the journey at around 5:00 pm on Tuesday.

The ill-fated bus belonging to Bheri Ganga Yatayat Samiti was carrying around 31 people including the driver and his assistant.

The preliminary investigation points to brake failure as the cause of the fatal road accident, police informed.