At least 19 people died and 20 others were injured, some critically, in a bus accident at Marpak-6 in Dhading district on Tuesday.

Eighteen people, including the driver, died on the spot while another person succumbed to injuries at the TU Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu, said police.

Thirteen of the injured were airlifted to the Capital for treatment. Six of them in critical condition were rescued by a private helicopter while a Nepal Army chopper took seven others to Kathmandu later.

The bus (Na 4 Kha 3318) swerved off the road and fell some 200 metres at around 11:30am. The vehicle was on its way to Kingtangphedi in upper Dhading from Dhadingbeshi, the district headquarters, carrying 35 passengers. Many others were believed to have got on the bus midway, said police.

Durga Bahadur Kumal, a witness, said the vehicle was overcrowded, with a number of passengers sitting on the roof. The incident site is 23km from Dhadingbeshi.

Most of the passengers were earthquake survivors from the northern VDCs of Satyadevi, Ri, Lapa, Tipling, Sertung and Jharlang. They were returning home with the Rs50,000 cash collected as the first tranche of the housing reconstruction aid.

According to the local administration, the bus did not have the permit to ply the fair-weather road. The accident is blamed on its poor condition caused by the rains.

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Dipendra Panjiyar, the bus fell while the driver attempted to pass a steep narrow stretch partially blocked by landslides.

Chief District Officer Bishwo Prakash Subedi said an all-party meeting involving transport entrepreneurs and locals will on Wednesday discuss compensation for the victims and the cost of treatment.

Police identified the deceased as Lila Bahadur Gurung, Chirmaya Tamang, Ranga Sing Tamang, Midijung Tamang, Rauta Tamang and Rawan Tamang of Satyadevi; Kamala Poudel, Pawan Bahadur Magar, Padam Thapa and Dil Kumari Adhikari of Marpak; Muna Tamang, Tek Bahadur Tamang, Man Bahadur Tamang and Chandraman Tamang of Ri; Indra Bahadur Ghale of Gumdi; Ramchandra Sapkota and Dhan Kumari Sapkota of Darkha; and driver Gangabir Bishwokarma of Tandrang in Gorkha. Nar Bahadur Thapa, whose address is yet to be ascertained, also died in the crash.

Committee to probe jeep plunge

KATHMANDU: A Cabinet meeting on Tuesday formed a five-member committee to probe Sunday’s jeep plunge into the Trishuli river in which former home minister Madhav Prasad Ghimire has gone missing. Three people died in the accident. The committee led by former Inspector General of Police Kuber Singh Rana will investigate the accident in which three persons have still been missing. The panel will also probe Tuesday’s bus accident in Dhading. (PR)