A tragic bus accident in central Nepal has resulted in seven fatalities and nine injuries, predominantly affecting Indian pilgrims returning from a religious site. The incident occurred Saturday night near Shahid Lakhan village, approximately 120 kilometers west of Kathmandu, when the vehicle lost control on a mountainous curve.
The bus was transporting devotees back from the revered Manakamana Temple, a significant Hindu pilgrimage destination where believers seek divine blessings. According to local authorities, the vehicle was descending the mountain road when it veered off a sharp bend, plunging approximately 150 meters down a steep slope before coming to rest in a ravine.
Police confirmed that all seven deceased were Indian nationals participating in the religious journey. Among the nine injured survivors, seven were Indian pilgrims, while the remaining two included the Nepali driver and his assistant. Emergency response teams comprising police officers and local villagers rushed to the crash site, extracting victims from the wreckage and coordinating ambulance transport to nearby medical facilities.
The mountainous terrain of Nepal presents persistent transportation challenges, with narrow, winding roads and frequently inadequate vehicle maintenance contributing to regular accidents. Official procedures are underway for autopsy examinations before the remains of the deceased can be released to their families.
This incident highlights the ongoing infrastructure and transportation safety concerns in Nepal’s Himalayan regions, where difficult geography combined with insufficient road maintenance continues to endanger travelers, particularly along religious pilgrimage routes.