Okhaldhunga, July 10

Three persons died on the spot while 16 others were injured when a bus met with an accident at Hilepani, Ward No 6 of Manebhanjyang Rural Municipality, Okhaldhunga, today.

The bus en route to Solukhumbu from Kakadbhitta had fallen 25 metres below the road at 3:30am today.

Police identified the deceased as driver Krishna Bahadur Basnet, 51, and passengers Maya Thapa, 51, of Solu and Lal Bahadur Dhami, 28 of Sindhuli.

Of the injured, the condition of five is said to be critical. Five of the critically injured have been airlifted to Kathmandu for treatment, said Inspector Rajiv Shrestha. The other injured passengers are being treated at Astha and Janasewa Hospital in Ghurmi of Udayapur.

The bus had left for Solukhumbu from Kakadbhitta at 2:00pm yesterday.

A preliminary police investigation showed that the accident might have occurred after the driver fell asleep. Those passengers who sustained minor injuries said they came to know about the accident only after the bus fell as they had fallen asleep.