Nepal Bus Accident Toll Rises To 27 Indians Killed As Tourist Bus Plunges Into Nepal River

Nepal Bus Accident: A bus bearing an Uttar Pradesh number plate has met with an accident in Nepal's Tanahun, around 70 km from Pokhara. The bus was carrying 40 passengers.

Bus Accident In Nepal: A bus from Uttar Pradesh with 43 passengers onboard has plunged into the Marsyangdi river in Tanahun district, a Nepal Police officer was quoted as saying. “The bus bearing number plate UP FT 7623 plunged into the river and is lying on the bank of the river,” DSP Deepkumar Raya from the District Police Office Tanahun confirmed. The death toll so far has been 27. As per the police, the bus was en route to Kathmandu from Pokhara.

Chief District Officer of Tanahun, Janardan Gautam was quoted by news agency ANI, "At least 27 Indians have been killed in the accident. Local police personnel told ABP News that all the passengers were tourists from India. The accident occurred in Aina Pahra of the Anvukhaireni area around 11 AM. The rest 16 people seriously injured in the accident have been sent to Kathmandu for treatment by Nepal Army helicopters.

All the bodies are being preserved at the morgue in the Ambukhaireni Rural Municipality area.

On August 4, the tourists entered Nepal with an eight-day permit from Belhiya checkpoint. They stayed at Pokhara's Sports Hotel for two days and then hiked to Kathmandu. They were on their way back to Pokhara when the incident occurred.

Relief Commissioner's office in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, earlier said: "We are establishing contact to find out if anyone from the state was on the bus."

Armed Police Force, Nepal, spokesperson Shailendra Thapa said in the afternoon that the 14 bodies had been recovered from the spot. He also said that 16 injured people were rescued and sent to a local hospital for treatment. "As many as 45 rescue personnel, including 10 divers, are looking for survivors under the command of SSP Madhab Paudel.

The latest incident comes on the heels of several such accidents in Nepal. Earlier in the day, the Nepal Police said that an SUV going from Gaurishala to Deuli Bazar veered off the road and rolled off a hill. Seven people were injured in the accident and sent to Mugu District Hospital.

Last month, two buses carrying 65 people were hit by a landslide and fell into a river in the Chitwan district of Nepal. There was no survivor.

(With inputs from Virendra KM.)