Death toll reaches 43 in Dang bus mishap

As search and rescue operations continue in Rapti River's accident site, the death toll in Dang bus mishap has reached to 43 and many are still missing.

Nepal Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and locals involved in rescue efforts extracted 17 bodies yesterday and 26 bodies today. Among the deceased 43, 33 are male and 10 are women.

The bus registered as Na 2 Kha 6038 had met with an accident in Bagasoti of Lalmatiya Village Development Committee-3 in Dang district of mid west Nepal on Monday morning. The bus was bound to Swargadhwari of Pyuthan district from Kishna Nagar skidded off the road and fell 150 meters down into the Rapti River.

According to reports, among the deceased bus owner Shiva Kumar Gupta of Dang; driver Ramesh Dhakal of Syangja; Bijay Rawat and Samsuddin Miya of Sandhikharka in Argakhachi; Krishna Bahadur Thapa, Krishna K.C, Kasmira Khatun, Bhesh Raj Rijal and Rajesh Sunar of Pyuthan and one Dal Bahadur Darlami of Kapilvastu have been identified so far.

The 10 identified bodies have been handed over to the respective families after carrying out post-mortem.

Reports said that the ill-fated bus was carrying more than 100 passengers, with many on its rooftop. 34 persons, including 7 Indians were rescued and the rest were missing till this morning.

The most of the passengers were on their way to Swargadhwari, a famous religious of Pyuthan district.

Police, Army and locals are still continuing search and rescue operations at the site but officials say that chances of finding survivors are slim.

Similarly, at least 9 people were killed on Tuesday in two different road accidents.

6 people were killed, injuring 57 others, at Ghasikuwa of Tanahun district on Prithvi highway when a bus skidded off the road smacking a big rock and 3 people were killed in Dailekh when a tractor met with an accident.

Those deceased in Ghasikuwa mishap have been identified as Devi Dhamala, of Kaski district, Purnima Gurung and Krishna Bastakoti, while the others are yet to be identified. All the injured are undergoing treatment at Pokhara hospital.