Dang, May 12:

Three persons were killed and 53 injured when a bus (Na 2 Kha 5961) bound for Deukhuri from Ghorahi of Dang for a picnic skidded off the road and fell into a ditch at Beldamar on the Ghorahi-Lamahi road section this morning, police said.

Dina Budha Magar, 17, and Rajkumar Budha Magar, 19, of Tribhuvannagar municipality-6 died on the spot while Himal Roka Magar, 16, of the same place died en route to a hospital in Nepalgunj, the Dang District Police Office (DPO) said.

The condition of 18 injured passengers is said to be critical and they are being treated in Nepalgunj, police said.

The rest of the injured persons returned home after preliminary treatment at the Lamahi Primary Health Centre.

The local Nepal Sewa Samaj Buddha Sangh had organised the picnic and two buses had been reserved to reach the picnic spot at Rihar of Deukhuri.

Those critically injured are Surya GM, Bishnu Thapa, Ambika Roka, Mina GM, Aruna GM, Bhumi GM, Riya Budha, Suniya Budha, Kumari Pun, Gyan Bahadur Roka, Bikash Budha, Himal Roka, Begam Roka, Romit Budha, Kamal Budha, Srijana Roka, Asarphi Pun and Dhansara Pun of the Tribhuvannagar municipality.