8 die, over dozen injured in separate road mishaps

At least eight people have died and over a dozen others injured in separate road accidents on the main national highway of the country the past 24 hours.

One person died and over half a dozen others injured when a passenger busn met with an accident in Nijgadh-Pathlaiya road section of Bara district Thursday.

The bus with license no Na 3 Kha 3122 and belonging to Rupesh Travels was on its ways to Birgunj from Janakpur when it crashed nearby Dumarwana at around 10:30 am.

Bus driver Jakir Hussain, a resident of Janakpur municipality in Dhanusha district, was seriously injured in the incident and breathed his last while being rushed to Birgunj for treatment. Six passengers were also injured in the accident that police say may have occurred due to the excessive speed of the bus on narrow road. The injured have been identified as Amrita Khadka and Anita Chaudhari of Rautahat; Devki Adhikari, Prajwal Rimal and Govinda Rimal of Kathmandu, Babita Lama of Bara and Ajay Kumar Saha of Sarlahi.

All of the injured are undergoing treatment at Narayani Sub-regional Hospital. Among them the condition of Amrita Khadka and Govinda Rimal is said to be critical.

Meanwhile, one Krishna Pariyar was killed when a truck hit the motorcycle he was riding in at the Narayani bridge of Gaidakot in Nawalparasi district.

Reports said that prior to that the motorcycle (Na 1 Pa 3347) had hit a cycle and following that a dispute had ensued in the middle of the road. But as the heated argument was going on a speeding truck with license plate no Na 2 Kha 5375 hit both the motorcycle and the cycle. Pariyar, who was a pillion rider in the motorcycle, died while being rushed to Bharatpur Hospital while motorcyclist Suman Ghale and the cyclist Hom Bahadur Shrestha have been injured and undergoing treatment there.

Police have taken truck drivers in its custody. Similarly, two persons died when a bus hit a motorcycle in Pakali of Sunsari district today.

The bus with license plate no Sa 1 Kha 455 was heading to Itahari from Rajbiraj. An unidentified man was also injured in the accident. According to District Police Office, Sunsari, the deceased has been identified as Pustak Raj Bhattarai of Hasposa, Sunsari-2 and his daughter who name and age has not been ascertained yet.

Both died while being taken to Dharan for treatment. Irate locals had set the bus on fire after the accident because of which
the highway remained obstructed for hours. On Wednesday night, four persons died when a van in which they were traveling in collided with a passenger bus at the Bhairahawa-Lumbini road section of the Mahendra highway in Rupandehi district late Wednesday night. The van was carrying a patient.

The bus (registration no Lu 1 Kha 1283) en route to Lumbini from Bhairahawa and the van (registration no Lu 1 Ja 398) heading to Bhairahawa from Taulihawa had collided on the highway traversing through Gonaha VDC, reports said.

The deceased have been identified as driver Pappu Kurmi, 32 of Devgadhiya, Kapilvastu; Aarati Chamar, 45 and Nini Chamar, 25, of Taulihawa-8 and Lalau Chamar, 26 of Lamtiya, Kapilvastu.

All four died while undergoing treatment at the Bhairahawa Medical College where they were rushed to soon after the accident. Two others -Jogimati Chamar and Deepak Chamar - who were injured in the accident are currently undergoing treatment at Kathmandu and Bhairahawa hospitals.

Initial police investigations showed that the accident occurred as both vehicles were traveling in great speed. The driver of the bus is said to be absconding. nepalnews.com ag Apr 24 08