Nepal: 25 killed, 45 hurt in Palpa bus mishap
Himalayan News Service
The mangled remains of the passenger bus that veered off the road and fell into a maize field at Laghuwa in Deurali VDC in Palpa on Monday.
Palpa, August 20:
Twenty-five persons were killed when a passenger bus heading from Butwal through Tansen to Gulmi’s Tamghas skidded off the road at Laghuwa in Palpa’s Deurali VDC this morning.
Forty-five others were injured in the mishap. They have been admitted to the mission hospital in Tansen, where four of them are in critical condition.
The dead included 12 women and four children.
The bus, Lu 1 Kha 3076, fell nearly 200 metres down into a maize field at 11:30 am. Driver Dil Bahadur Saru said the mishap occurred after he swerved to avoid a boulder that was rolling down from above towards the vehicle. Immediately after the mishap, Saru contacted the police, said police inspector at the Palpa district police office Dipak Shrestha. Nineteen died on the spot, while six died while undergoing treatment at the mission hospital.
Deputy superintendent of police Bhim Prasad Dhakal, who led the rescue mission, said the accident may have occurred due to the bad condition of the road and brake failure after the vehicle’s spring plate snapped.
An injured person, Dil Bahadur Gharti of Arwathok, Gulmi, said the bus was overloaded and the driver sped past a narrow bend when the incident occurred. “The driver ignored me when I asked him not to take too many passengers into the bus. The spring plate broke and the brakes failed. The driver then jumped off the vehicle and it fell down into a maize field,” he said.
Another wounded passenger Tek Bahadur Hamal said the accident could have been averted had the driver not jumped out.
A rescue team of police from the district headquarters Tansen reached the spot soon after the accident. Palpa CDO Shambhu Ghimire also reached the site. Locals, cadres of political parties, transport entrepreneurs, travellers, health workers, teachers and school students all rushed to aid in the rescue.
13 dead identified so far
Krishna Prasad Kharel, 52, of Aanpchaur-1, Gulmi; Basisara Thapa, 53, of Hugdi-3, Baglung; Tikaram Gyawali, 55, of Ruru-8, Gulmi; Sabitra Kunwar, 18, of Thulolumdek-8, Gulmi; Shir Bahadur Thapa, 28, of Jheri Gajera, Kapilvastu; Harikala Thapa, 19, of Ruru-4, Gulmi; Harikala’s two-year-old son Amit; Bishnu Thapa, 28, of Kailashnagar, Tansen; Umakanti Chandan, 42, of Birbas-2, Gulmi; Devka Kunwar, 37, of Swathi-8, Nawalparasi; Devka’s 10-year-old son Raju; Jung Bahadur Gautam, 60, of Rupakot-5, Gulmi; Mohan Singh Khatri, 40, Charpala, Gulmi.
