Oct. 13, 2011, SINDHULI Nepal -As Festival season is entertaining through out the nation, but tragic accidents are making our celebration fade. At least 41 passengers were killed and 16 others injured when an overcrowded passenger bus swerved from the road and tumbled on the Sunkoshi River bank at Purano Jhagajholi-4, Sindhuli district, along the BP Highway on Thursday morning.
The ill-fated bus (Na 3 Kha 9412), bound for the Capital from Sindhuli, skidded off the road and fell some 110 meters down, leaving 27 male and 13 female passengers dead. One injured, Birbahadur Tamang, 50, of Bandipur, died while undergoing treatment at Dhulikhel hospital this afternoon.
However, around a dozen persons traveling on the roof managed to save their lives by jumping off the bus, witnesses said.
Security personnel and locals hustled to the incident site following the accident.
The other deceased, except for bus driver Prem Tamang, have not been identified yet.
It has been reported that there were passengers traveling even on the roof of the bus. Police have believed that the bus could have met with the accident as it was carrying more passnegers than its capacity.
Most of the passengers were returning to the Capital after celeberating Dashain festival.
Meanwhile, a team headed by Chief District Officer Beni Nadhav Gyawali reached the accident site for further investigation.
The injured are undergoing treatment at hospitals in Dhulikhel and Kathmandu.
Meanwhile, CPN-UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal has demanded the government provide relief to the victims of those deceased in the accident. Speaking at the Legislature-Parliament today, the UML chairman has also expressed his condolence to the departed souls.
According to the police, the deceased have been identified as
Sanjeeb Karki
Ishwor Pokharel, Kanchanpur Municipality 5
Bishnu Karki, 37, Ranibas-6
Bibek Baral, 27, Baneshwor-7
Madan Shrestha, 38, Ranichuri-2
Yuvraj Shrestha, 28, Baneshwor-7
Birbahadur Mudel, 38, Ranichuri, 7
Purnabahadur Ale, 33, Bhadrakali-3
Rajesh Dhakal, 6, Kanchanpur-4
Khusbahadur Shrestha, 19, Bhimeshwor-8
Shyam BK, 13, Kanchanpur-4
Singhabahadur Khadka, 30, Udayapur-4
Yasu Jarghamagar, 10, Tinkanya-8
Sita Gautam, 30, Dadigurase-6
Sangita Ghartimagar, 18, Lampantar-4
Sushila BK, 25, Kanchanpur-4
Kritika Shrestha, 10, Dhulikhel-5
Saroj Ghanamagar, 11, Lampantar-4
Pramila Shrestha, 12, Bhimsthan-5
Rakesh Dhakal, 10, Kanchanpur-4
Chandragopal Shrestha, 36, Dhulikhel-5
Bikash Pariyar, 27, Kanchanpur-3
Prem Thapamagar, 35, Bhadrakali-3
Lalbahadur Lungelimagar, 3o, Ratanchura-9
Bhawani Adhikari, 36, Bhaktapur
Anju Dhakal, 27, Kanchanpur-5
Seven of the injured have been discharged from the Dhulikhel Hospital while the other two have been taken to the Capital.
It has been reported that the dead bodies would be handed over to the respective kinspersons.
The injured persons are Badri Gautam, 24, Dada Gurase, Sindhuli, his six-year-old daughter Ranjita, Smita Shrestha, 36, of Tinkanya-8, Karuna Tamang of Bandipur-9, Kuber Magar, Ranikhola, Januka Shrestha, 30, of Ratnachura-9, Babulal Yonjan of Siddheshwor and Gyanendra Gurmachhan Magar of Bhadrakali-2, Chiyabari. They are undergoing treatment at the Dhulikhel Hospital.
Likewise, Himal Tamang of Bhadrakali, Kapil Pokharel of Sindhuli-8, Jetha Mijar, 30, of Kavre, Patlekhet-8, Kalpana Darji of Ramechhap, Khimti-6, Astha Shrestha of Kathmandu, Ramesh Khatri of Ramechhap and one-year-old Shristi KC are also undergoing medical treatment at the same hospital.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai has expressed his condolence to the bereaved family of the deceased.
The details of the incident as informed by P. Dinesh, Engineer at Hazama Ando Consortium (HAC) Site Office Mulkot, from the scene
The accident occurred at 10:15 AM
Registration Number: Na 3 Kha 9412
Vertical Height: 110 m landed at the Sunkoshi river bank
Spot Dead: 40 persons
Hospitalized: 16 person (unknown about their current status at Dhulikhel hospital)
Six persons jumped off the bus and saved life
Total passengers: 60 plus
Rescuing teams:
HAC members and equipment, locals and police
Cause of accident:
1. New bus from different routes
2.Festival time, overload 60+ passengers
3. This is only a track load, under construction the route do not hold such a big load, brake efficiency and brake shoe automatically looses its power climbing up and down with such a heavy load.
As our system is main cause of the accident, periodical maintenance, over loaded, passenger by seat only are not monitored, and lack of maintenance and inspection of road safety, educating public about the danger are seen the causes.
Source: KOL
