Kathmandu, March 15: A tragic road accident in Nepal’s Gorkha district resulted in the deaths of at least seven Indian pilgrims on Saturday evening. The incident occurred as the pilgrims were returning from a visit to the Manakamana Temple.
According to police, an electric microbus carrying the pilgrims skidded off the road and plunged into a deep gorge in the Kantar area of Sahid Lakhan Rural Municipality.
Raj Kumar Shrestha, Deputy Superintendent of Police at the Gorkha District Police Office, reported that seven other pilgrims were injured and have been sent to Chitwan Medical College in Bharatpur for treatment. He added that rescue operations are still ongoing.
Local authorities indicated that the microbus was carrying more than a dozen passengers. Tulsi Bahadur Shrestha, the Chief District Officer of Gorkha, mentioned that the microbus was heading west from the Manakamana Temple towards the Anbukhaireni area in Tanahun district. However, it remains unclear where the passengers were headed after their temple visit.
Police have not yet determined the cause of the accident, but the electric microbus crashed on a bend of the hilly road.
This is not the first incident in the area; in August 2024, a bus carrying Indian pilgrims met with an accident in Anbukhaireni, resulting in at least 27 fatalities.
In recent years, Nepal has seen a rise in road accidents. According to data from the Nepal Traffic Police, the country recorded 4,999 road accidents a decade ago, while the number surged to 7,669 in the fiscal year 2024-25.
A World Bank study report indicates that the economic loss due to road accidents in Nepal has tripled since 2007, now accounting for approximately 1.5 percent of the country’s Gross National Product.
The report also highlights that the most vulnerable groups are disproportionately affected by road accidents. Over 70 percent of fatalities in Nepal involve sensitive road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists.
Arpit Soni has had a passion for journalism since the beginning. Now he has turned this hobby into his profession. Arpit, who is a resident of Udaipur, enjoys editing and writing news related to journalism. He has worked as a Senior Content Producer in several important roles at Bhaskar, Patrika, Pratahkal, Punjab Kesari, and Times. Arpit completed his schooling in Udaipur and Jaipur. He has been working in the media industry for more than 10 years, and his journey is still continuing. ✍️📚
Leave a Comment