A passenger bus carrying Indian nationals plunged into the Marsyangdi River in Nepal’s Tanahun district on Friday, resulting in the deaths of 14 people and injuries to 16 others. The bus, which was transporting 40 Indian passengers, was traveling from Pokhara to Kathmandu.
“The bus, registered with the number plate UP (Uttar Pradesh) FT 7623, fell into the river,” stated DSP Deepkumar Raya of Tanahun district. The accident occurred at Aaina Pahara, a location within the district. Visuals from the scene revealed that the bus’s roof was torn off, with the wreckage lying near the riverbank.
A rescue operation is currently underway at the accident site, led by a team of 45 police officers from the Armed Police Force Nepal Disaster Management Training School, under the command of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Madhav Paudel.
A passenger bus carrying Indian nationals plunged into the #MarsyangdiRiver in #Nepal‘s Tanahun district on Friday, resulting in the deaths of 14 people and injuries to 16 others. The bus, which was transporting 40 Indian passengers, was traveling from Pokhara to Kathmandu….… pic.twitter.com/scSZzJG2z3
— Pune Pulse (@pulse_pune) August 23, 2024
The Indian passengers involved in the accident were staying at Majheri Resort in Pokhara before departing for Kathmandu earlier on Friday morning. In response to the incident, the Uttar Pradesh Relief Commissioner is attempting to determine if any of the passengers were residents of Uttar Pradesh, as reported by ANI.
Nepal’s mountainous terrain and extensive river network make it prone to such accidents and natural disasters. Just last month, two buses with approximately 65 passengers fell into the Trishuli River in Nepal following a landslide, with more than 50 people, including seven Indians, feared dead. That incident occurred on the Madan-Ashrit Highway in central Nepal, during heavy rainfall. One bus was en route from Kathmandu to Gaur in Rautahat, while the other was traveling from Birgunj to Kathmandu.