Nepalgunj, July 3:

Nine passengers were injured when truck entrepreneurs in Kohalpur vandalised the buses they were travelling in this morning.

The truck entrepreneurs vandalised six passenger buses and a car, which were carrying passengers to their destinations after they learnt that the transport strike had been lifted. Injured Ram Bahadur Thapa of Bhaktapur was in critical condition and was rushed to Kathmandu for treatment, the SP in Banke, Uttam Karki, said.

The other injured are undergoing treatment in the Kohalpur-based medical college. Passenger buses which were heading for Butwal, Dang and Kathmandu, were vandalised. Police also resorted to lathi charge to control the clash, which started at 3:30 am.

Police have arrested nine persons in connection with the vandalism. Ram Bahadur Giri, Lal Bahadur Roka, Purna Shumsher JB Rana from Dang, Hari Lal Thapa, Avatar Gurung of Surkhet, Raj Kumar Rokka of Chitwan and Prakash Khadka of Baitadi have been arrested.

The truck entrepreneurs again disrupted traffic in Kohalpur this afternoon, police said.