BAJURA: Two persons died and 12 others sustained injuries when the jeep they were travelling on plunged into Bhuwa Khola along the Karnali corridor in Jagannath Rural Municipality- 5 of Bajura district today.

Police identified the deceased as Ram Bahadur Shahi (25) of Khatyad Rural Municipality-6, Mugu and the jeep driver Ramesh Bogati (27) of Tikapur Municipality-4 in Kailali district.

The injured have been identified as Upajan Shahi (28), Rajendra Shahi (17), Mahendra Shahi (18), Manakishna Upadhyaya (45), Tek Rawal (17), Ramesh Bahadur Shahi (16) and Tilak Raj Upadhyaya (17), all residents of Khatyad-6. Others injured are Jagat Rawal (15) of Swamikartik Rural Municipality-1, Lalbir Chadara (55) of Swamikartik-5, Takka Kami (19) and Maheshwari Kami of Jagannath area in Pandavgupha Rural Municipality-1, and Jana BK (27) of Pandavgupha-2.

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) at Bajura District Police Office (DPO), the jeep (Ka 1 Ja 21) en route from Piluchaur to Kalikot struggled to ascend the inclined road and reversed before falling about 50 metres below the road. The jeep with the capacity of six persons was crammed with 16 passengers, police informed.

The District Administration Office (DAO) with the help of security personnel carried out the rescue operation. Some of the passengers with minor injuries were rushed to Kolti-based Primary Health Centre for treatment while others were airlifted to a hospital in Nepalgunj where they are receiving treatment. Two passengers remained unharmed while the preparation was on to airlift the four critically injured passengers to a hospital in Kathmandu.

Police have said that the accident was caused due to overloading of the vehicle as well as bad condition of the unpaved hilly road.

The road along the Karnali Corridor that is being constructed by Nepal Army came into operation from last April only allowing jeeps to ply the hilly road.

The 145-kilometre Karnali Corridor spans from Lalu of Kalikot district to Sarisalla of Humla. About 40 km of the road falls in Kalikot, 44 km in Bajura while the remaining road is located in Humla.