On Friday, a bus full of Indian tourists fell off a Nepali highway and into a river, killing 27 and wounding 16.
The Himalayan Republic has a comparatively high rate of fatal collisions due to inadequate road infrastructure, neglected automobiles, and careless driving.
Around lunchtime, an accident occurred in the central Tanahun district of the bus that was traveling from the tourist destination of Pokhara to the capital, Kathmandu.
According to Tanahun district official Janardan Gautam, “out of 43, in total 27 people have died.” Rescuers struggled against the raging Marsyangdi River to pull passengers out of the water. Another 16 injured passengers were airlifted by military helicopter to Kathmandu for treatment.
Authorities said that all the people who boarded the bus were Indian citizens who had stayed in Pokhara the night before and were heading to Kathmandu. “Among the dead, 26 bodies are currently in a local hospital and will be sent to Pokhara after all proceedings,” Gautam said. One person died while undergoing treatment in Bharatpur hospital. “We were focused on the rescue today, we will now investigate the incident,” Gautam added. Nearly 2,400 people lost their lives on Nepal’s roads in the 12 months to April, according to government figures.
