NEW DELHI, Aug 23: At least 27 Indian nationals were killed and 16 others injured after a bus carrying tourists plunged off a highway Nepal and fell into a river on Friday.
The victims, mostly from Jalgaon district in Maharashtra, were travelling as part of a pilgrimage group when their bus veered off the highway and plunged into the fast-flowing Marsyangdi River.
“We are deeply pained by the tragic death of 27 Indian nationals in a road accident in Tanahun district of Nepal. We convey our deepest condolences to the families of the deceased,” the ministry of external affairs said on X.
The ministry confirmed that 16 others were injured in the accident, all of whom have been airlifted to Kathmandu for medical treatment.
The bus, which was en route from Pokhara to Kathmandu, was carrying 43 passengers when the accident occurred. Nepalese authorities, supported by local rescue teams, faced significant challenges as they battled the raging river currents to rescue survivors and retrieve the bodies of those who died.
The Maharashtra government has so far released a list of 16 persons from Jalgaon as “reported deceased.” The Indian Embassy has set up emergency helpline numbers to facilitate communication and support.
“They are in constant touch with local authorities and with affected families and are making arrangement for early transportation of mortal remains to India. Embassy would be giving regular updates on the matter,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
Friday’s accident is the latest in a series of deadly road incidents in Nepal. Just a month ago, two buses with 59 passengers on board were swept into a river by a landslide in Chitwan district.
Three people were able to escape alive from that incident, but authorities have so far only managed to recover 20 bodies in the weeks since, and the search is continuing for the two buses and the remains of the missing passengers.
Road travel becomes deadlier during the annual monsoon season as rains trigger landslides and floods across the mountainous nation.
(Manas Dasgupta)