At least 11 people lost their lives when an India-registered passenger bus plunged into the Marsyangdi River in Nepal’s Tanahun district on Friday, according to reports from news agency PTI, citing local media sources.
The bus, carrying approximately 40 passengers, was en route from Pokhara to Kathmandu when the accident occurred.
Deepkumar Raya, the deputy superintendent of police at the Tanahun district police office, confirmed the incident. He reported that the bus, bearing the registration number UP FT 7623, had careened off the road and now lay on the riverbank.
#WATCH | Nepal | An Indian passenger bus with 40 people onboard has plunged into the Marsyangdi river in Tanahun district, confirms Nepal Police.— ANI (@ANI) August 23, 2024
“The bus bearing number plate UP FT 7623 plunged into the river and is lying on the bank of the river,” DSP Deepkumar Raya from the… pic.twitter.com/P8XwIA27qJ
Authorities in Uttar Pradesh are also investigating whether any residents from the state were involved in the crash.
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Monsoon disasters haunt Nepal
The tragic event echoes a similar incident from July this year, when 65 people were swept into the Trishuli River in Nepal after two buses were caught in a landslide. The buses, one headed to Kathmandu and the other from Kathmandu to Rautahat’s Gaur, were travelling during heavy rains when they were pushed off the road into the swollen river below.
Nepal has been grappling with severe monsoon-related disasters. Since the onset of the monsoon season, at least 62 people have been killed, and 90 others have sustained injuries in rain-related incidents as of July.
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The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority under Nepal’s Ministry of Home Affairs has warned that this year’s monsoon is expected to bring more rainfall than average, potentially affecting 1.8 million people and impacting approx 412,000 households across the country. Authorities have also urged citizens to remain vigilant as the country faces ongoing threats from monsoon-induced disasters.