Preliminary investigation into the jeep accident launched by the police has determined overload and over speed to be the causes of accident at Syangboche of Lo Ghekar Damodarkunda Rural Municipality of Mustang last Friday.

A total of 20 workers died and 12 sustained injuries when a tipper met with an accident. The tipper was carrying workers of Beni-Jomsom-Korala road construction.

Since the driver of the tipper, 23-year-old Sujan Ghalan, also died in the incident, all the details regarding mishap could not be ascertained, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police in Mustang, Mahendra Khadka.

He said, "The tipper was found to have carried 32 workers as well as sacks of sand. The preliminary investigation shows the tipper was carrying more passengers than its capacity and it was being driven at high speed."

Police has also gauged that the gravel road and the inexperienced driver's ride could have incurred the mishap. The workers were mostly aged 20 to 30. The deceased workers were mostly from Rolpa, Dang and Kailali among others.

The injured ones are receiving treatment at the Pokhara-based Manipal Teaching Hospital while the dead bodies were handed over to the respective families. They all were hired by Biruwa Constructions for the construction of the road.

The tipper with the registration number Ba 2 Ka 2219 fell off some 40 metres off the road. The incident site lies 50 kilometers from the district headquarters, Jomsom, police added. RSS