KATHMANDU, Nov 12: At least 14 people, including the driver, lost their lives and six others sustained injuries after a passenger microbus plunged nearly 300 metres down a hillside in central Nepal on Thursday morning, police said.
The accident took place at around 5:45 am in Makwanpur district of Bagmati province when the vehicle was travelling from Kathmandu towards Sarlahi district.
According to officials at the District Police Office, the microbus veered off the Bhimfedi-Kulekhani-Kathmandu road in Bhimfedi Rural Municipality before plunging down a steep slope.
Basanta Adhikari, Chief District Officer of Makwanpur, confirmed that 14 people died in the crash, including the person driving the vehicle. Six other passengers were injured and subsequently taken to a hospital in Hetauda Municipality for medical treatment.
Authorities have not yet determined what caused the vehicle to lose control and fall off the road. Further details regarding the circumstances surrounding the accident are awaited.
The passengers were residents of Sarlahi district who were travelling from Kathmandu to their hometown to celebrate Chhath, one of the major Hindu festivals observed in Nepal.
The accident occurred just days before the festival, which falls on Sunday this year. Thousands of people traditionally travel to their native places during this period to celebrate the occasion with their families.
Chhath is celebrated predominantly by the Hindu community in Nepal’s Terai region, the country’s southern plains. Devotees observe the festival by offering prayers to the Sun God and seeking blessings for the well-being and prosperity of their families.
The tragedy has cast a shadow over the festive period, as families were preparing to reunite for the celebrations.