Two people were killed and 13 injured, six of them critically, when a double-cab jeep went out of control while reversing and plunged about 50 meters off the road at Nayadanda in Aathbiskot Municipality-5 on Monday, police said.
The accident happened at about noon. The jeep was travelling from Thapagaun towards Nayadanda. The dead are Haribahadur Thapa, 10, and Laxmiram Thapa, 29, both residents of Aathbiskot-5.
The six critically injured are Juna Kumari Thapa, 19, Birbahadur Thapa, 35, Sita Thapa, 23, Juni Thapa, 23, Yubaraj Thapa, 8, and Birata Thapa, 4. Hira Thapa, 25, and Gaurav Thapa, 2, have moderate injuries. Five other passengers have minor injuries.
Six of the injured were taken to Nagar Hospital in Radi at about 1:20 pm. Police teams led by Assistant Sub-Inspector Buddhiram Oli and Inspector Bijay Chapagain reached the scene and have begun an investigation. The driver, Pradip BK, 25, fled after the accident and police are searching for him. The cause of the crash has not been established.
Other fatal crashes
In Nuwakot, three people died when a motorcycle fell about 100 metres from the road at Khadkathok, Bidur Municipality-9. The dead are Buddhiman Tamang, 47, Binda Thapa Magar, 31, and Sunita Thapa Magar, 27. They were pronounced dead at Nuwakot District Hospital in Trishuli. Police have started an investigation.
In Dailekh, two people died and four were injured when a Bolero travelling from Kalikot to Surkhet met with an accident at Kapalotoli, Gurans Rural Municipality-1. The dead are the driver, Yogesh Sikda, 22, and Rane Sharki, 41, both of Sanni Triveni Rural Municipality in Kalikot. They died while being treated at Province Hospital, Kalagaun, Surkhet, where the injured are also being treated. The cause has not been established.
In Kapilvastu, Lakhan Ahir, 77, of Kapilvastu Municipality-3, died after a bus travelling from Taulihawa towards Bahadurganj hit him on Hulaki Road at Bargadawa, Maharajganj Municipality-3. He died during treatment at Kapilvastu Hospital in Taulihawa. Police Inspector Rajan Dhakal of the District Traffic Police Office said the bus is under police control.
In Bardiya, two people died after two motorcycles collided on Sunday night at Banbirpur Chauabato Chowk, Thakurdwara Municipality-5. Abhishek Chaudhary, 20, died at District Hospital, Bardiya, and Mahendra Rizal, 30, died at Nepalgunj Medical College Teaching Hospital in Kohalpur. Police have not said what caused the collision.
Totals
The five crashes killed 10 people and injured at least 17. Injury figures were not given for the Nuwakot, Kapilvastu and Bardiya crashes. The Bardiya crash happened on Sunday, not Monday.
Landslide on Prithvi Highway
Separately, a dry landslide at Ghoptebhir in Ichchhakamana Rural Municipality-4, Chitwan, blocked the Prithvi Highway in both directions at about 1 am on Monday, stranding buses, private vehicles and trucks. Traffic resumed in both directions at about 1:30 pm after the debris was cleared.
