Four persons were killed and 17 others got injured when a bus collided head-on with a truck in Bhanuchowk, Chitwan, along the East-West Highway on Tuesday night.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Prabhu Prasad Dhakal said the Kakadbhitta-bound bus (Na 6 Kha 1741) had crashed onto the truck (Na 5 Kha 5941) at around 11 pm.

Police suspect high speed as the possible cause of the accident.

Rishi Thapaliya, assistant of the bus driver, however, told the Post that the accident occurred as the driver was attempting to avert a cow on the road.

The deceased were identified as truck driver Mohan Ghising, his helper Buddhiman Lama of Chandrapur-2, Rautahat; Tara Baral of Phungling, Taplejung; and Bishnu Prasad Thapa of Thankot, Kathmandu. They all died in course of treatment, police said.

Among the 17 people injured, four were receiving treatment in Bharatpur on Wednesday. Police said the remaining injured people were discharged after they were administered primary treatment.

According to the District Police Office, Chitwan, 18 people have died in separate road accidents in Chitwan since July 17, the start of current fiscal. In the previous fiscal year, 132 people had died in 271 road accidents in the district.