The bus owned by Kankrebihar Transport Entrepreneurs´ Committee skidded off the highway two hours after it left Hulma in Kalikot at 7:30 am. The bus, according to police, fell about 100 meters into the river. The accident site is 130 km from Bangesimal in Surkhet.[break]
Two families have lost three members each in the accident. Mugale Basnet of Pipalbot-4 in Dailekh died along with his wife Omsara and daughter Gitakumari. Two other passengers from Pipalbot -- Parbal Basnet and Bishnu Rawat -- were also killed. Purna Lohar of Phukot-4 in Kalikot was killed along with his wife Goma and a two-year-old child.
Preliminary investigation found that the accident took place due to a breakdown of the steering wheel. Police suspect that the driver might have lost control of the bus as it was over-crowded. The bus, which had just 33 passengers when it left Hulma, was carrying 50 people including the driver by the time it reached the accident site. According to DSP Naresh Man Shrestha, the steering might have failed as the driver had to negotiate the slightly uphill road.
Police personnel from Kalikot, Dailekh and Achham reached the accident site for rescue. Ratan Bahadur Dharala, the regional administrator, flew to the accident spot along with an additional team of security personnel at 11 am by a Shree Air helicopter. Ten injured persons were rescued by the chopper. They were flown to Kohalpur Medical College in Surkhet.
The list of deceased
1) Mugale Basnet (60), Pipalbot-4, Dailekh
2) Omsara Basnet (45), Pipalbot0-4, Dailekh
3) Gitakumari Basnet (20), Pipalbot-4, Dailekh
4) Bishnu Rawat (51), Pipalbot0-4, Dailekh
5) Parbal Basnet (45), Pipalbot0-4, Dailekh
6) Jayarudra Neupane (42), Phukot-4, Kalikot
7) Hansh Raj Neupane (22), Phukot-4, Kalikot
8) Ati Tiruwa (48), Phukot-3 Kalikot
9) Goma Lohar (22), Phukot-7 Kalikot
10) Purna Lohar (27), Phukot-7 Kalikot
11) An unidentified two-year-old child
12) Rudra Neupane (54), Phukot-7 Kalikot
13) Drona Giri (42), Raku-4, Kalikot
14) Laxmi Sejuwal (20), Ramnakot-5, Kalikot
15) Aankala Khand, Thirpu-1, Kalikot
16) Maya (five months old), Thirpu-1, Kalikot
17) Raju Bitalu, Thirpu, Kalikot
18) Bim Bahadur Bam, Mehalmudi-4, Kalikot
19) Shri Ram Chaudhari of Nepal Army
20) Chhabi Lal Sharma, teacher
21) Gajendra Nath Yogi, Sipkhana, Kalikot
22) Pradip Sarki, Sipkhana, Kalikot
23) Manoj Sarki, 38, Sipkhana, Kalikot
24) Ambika Sanjyal, Nanikochha-2, Kalikot
25. Ranga Bahadur Shahi, Bharta-2, Kalikot
26. Padam Mani Sharma, Kapilvastu
27. Dhan Bahadur Shahi, Tilepata-9 Dailekh
28. Ratan Bahadur Shahi, Mehalmundi-1, Kalikot
29. Dheer BK, Phukot-7, Kalikot
30. Tara Neupane, Sipkhana-6, Kalikot
31. Karna Bahadur Shah, Tikapur, Nayabasti, Kailali
32. Haste Adhikari, Rupsa
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