New Delhi:

The death count in the road accident in Nepal’s Tahahun district has now risen to 41, Maharashtra Minister Girish Mahajan said today. A bus carrying Indian tourists plunged off a Nepali highway and into a river on Friday. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh from Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund for the families of those died in the mishap. Those injured in the accident would be given Rs 50,000, the PMO said in a post. 

The Prime Minister has announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF for the next of kin of each deceased in the mishap in Tanahun district, Nepal. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000. https://t.co/qUtVrj4ipF

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 24, 2024

It was travelling from the tourist city of Pokhara to the capital Kathmandu when it fell 150-feet into a river valley. Most of the passengers were from Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district. The injured people were airlifted to Kathmandu and admitted at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital.

“41 people have lost their lives in Nepal after falling into the river. We’ve been in touch with the Embassy in Delhi, and the Nepal Army has transported 12 people to the hospital,” Mr Mahajan said in a presser. 

The bodies of the victims and injured people will enter India from Maharajganj district of the Uttar Pradesh-Nepal border on Saturday afternoon, Maharashtra State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) Director Lahu Mali said, according to a report in news agency IANS. 

IAF To Bring Victims’ Bodies

An Indian Air Force plane will bring the bodies of the Maharashtra pilgrims to Nashik, officials told news agency PTI. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah who assured all possible help, they added.

The special flight is likely to fly from Gorakhpur to Nashik and the state government will bear all the expenses for the same, IANS reported. 

Deadly crashes are relatively common in the Himalayan republic as a result of poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.

This accident came a month after two buses with 59 passengers on board were swept into a river by a landslide in Chitwan. 

(With inputs from agencies)

Mumbai:

The death toll in the road accident in Nepal’s Tanahun district has risen to 41. Maharashtra Minister Girish Mahajan confirmed the deaths during a press conference in Mumbai on Friday.

A bus carrying around 43 passengers mostly Indian tourists, veered off the road into the Marsyangdi River at Ainapahara in Nepal’s Tanahun District on August 23.

During the press conference, Minister Mahajan said that the state government is in constant touch with the Nepal administration and also with the Embassy of Delhi to coordinate the relief efforts.

“41 people have died in Nepal after it plunged into the river. We connected with the Embassy in Delhi also. 12 people have been shifted by the Nepal Army to the hospital,” Minister Mahajan said.

Mahajan said that the exact figure is yet to be ascertained and added that most passengers hailed from Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district.

“We don’t have the exact figure. There are 16-18 more but there can be casualties among them. We are continuously in touch with the district administration and the military and I have also interacted with Dy CM. The rescue efforts are still underway,” he added.

According to officials, the bus was en route to Kathmandu from Pokhara when it met with the accident.

Earlier, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who oversees the disaster relief and rehabilitation department, spoke with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other senior central officials on Friday regarding the repatriation of bodies of deceased Indian tourists. Amit Shah assured CM Shinde of the full cooperation from the central government.

According to the Chief Minister’s Office, a special Indian Air Force aircraft will bring the bodies of 24 tourists tomorrow to Nashik and the bodies will then be handed over to their families.

CM Shinde earlier offered condolences over the deaths and conveyed his sympathies to the bereaved families.

In a post on X, the Chief Minister said that the news of a tragic accident of a bus, carrying pilgrims from India, including Maharashtra’s Jalgaon in Nepal, is deeply saddening.

“Unfortunately, some devotees have lost their lives, while others have been seriously injured. The state government, in coordination with the Nepal Embassy and the Uttar Pradesh government, is ensuring that the injured receive prompt medical attention. The state government is deeply concerned for the victims and their families and stands in solidarity with them during this difficult time,” the post mentioned.

The Chief Minister further said that efforts are underway to expedite repartiation of the bodies of the deceased to Maharashtra.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Mumbai:

A special Indian Air Force plane has been arranged to bring the bodies of 24 tourists, who were killed in a road accident in Nepal, to Nashik.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who oversees the disaster relief and rehabilitation department, spoke with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other senior central officials on Friday regarding the repatriation of bodies of 24 Indians among 27 tourists killed in a road accident in Nepal.

According to the Chief Minister’s Office, Amit Shah assured CM Shinde of the full cooperation from the central government.

In response to the Chief Minister’s request, a special Indian Air Force plane has been arranged to bring the bodies of 24 tourists to Nashik. The deceased hailed from Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district. The flight will reach Nashik on Saturday and the bodies will then be handed over to their families.

According to officials, the bodies have been kept at Aabukhaireni Village Council and the identification of bodies is underway. The bus was en route to Kathmandu from Pokhara when it met with the accident.

As many as 27 tourists were killed after a bus carrying around 43 passengers mostly Indian tourists, veered off the road into the Marsyangdi River at Ainapahara in Nepal’s Tanahun District.

Chief Minister requested Union Home Minister Amit Shah to expedite the repatriation. The central government has appointed a special officer for coordination.

CM Shinde earlier offered condolences over the deaths and conveyed his sympathies to the bereaved families.

CM Shinde took to X and wrote, “The news of a tragic accident of a bus, carrying pilgrims from India, including Maharashtra’s Jalgaon in Nepal, is deeply saddening. Unfortunately, some devotees have lost their lives, while others have been seriously injured. The state government, in coordination with the Nepal Embassy and the Uttar Pradesh government, is ensuring that the injured receive prompt medical attention. Efforts are also underway to bring the bodies of the deceased back to Maharashtra. The state government is deeply concerned for the victims and their families and stands in solidarity with them during this difficult time.”

महाराष्ट्राच्या जळगाव जिल्ह्यातील प्रवासी यात्रेकरूंच्या बसला उत्तर प्रदेशातून नेपाळकडे जाताना झालेल्या अपघाताचे वृत्त अत्यंत दुःखद आहे. या दुर्दैवी अपघातात काही भाविकांचा मृत्यू झाला असून काही भाविक गंभीर जखमी असल्याची माहिती मिळाली आहे. नेपाळ दूतावास व उत्तर प्रदेश सरकारच्या…

— Eknath Shinde – एकनाथ शिंदे (@mieknathshinde) August 23, 2024

As per the CMO, the Chief Minister has been in constant touch with officials from the state’s Relief and Rehabilitation Department as well as central officials to stay updated on the ongoing relief efforts in Nepal.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

At least 14 Indians were killed and 17 people injured when a passenger bus plunged into a river in Nepal today. The Indian-registered bus, carrying about 40 passengers, plunged into the Marsyangdi River in the Tanahun district, some 110 kilometers from its destination in the capital Kathmandu.

As per an official, the bus was en route to Kathmandu from Pokhara.

“The bus bearing number plate UP (Uttar Pradesh) FT 7623 plunged into the river and is lying on the bank of the river,” a senior police official told the news agency ANI.

#WATCH | Nepal: An Indian passenger bus with 40 people onboard has plunged into the Marsyangdi river in Tanahun district. The bus was en route to Kathmandu from Pokhara. Search and rescue operations underway by the Nepal Army at the incident site.

(Video Source: News Agency… pic.twitter.com/txxO43O4CV

— ANI (@ANI) August 23, 2024

Relief and rescue operations are underway.

Last month, a devastating landslide in Nepal’s Chitwan district swept away two buses into the Trishuli River, killing at least five Indians.

The landslide occurred on July 12 in the Simaltal area along the Narayanghat-Mugling road in Chitwan district when two buses carrying 65 passengers, including seven Indians, were swept away following heavy rainfall. Three people swam to safety soon after the incident.

The bodies of five Indian nationals have been recovered so far while two are still missing.

The search teams have so far found 25 bodies in the Narayani riverbanks and the Triveni Dam area, approximately 103 kilometers downstream from the incident site. However, only 19 bodies found downstream have been confirmed to be of those missing in the incident.

Indian passenger bus with 40 people plunges into Marayangdi river in Nepal.
| Photo Credit: X:@ani_digital

At least 14 people were killed after an Indian-registered passenger bus plunged into the Marsyangdi River in central Nepal on Friday (August 23, 2024), according to media reports.

The bus from Gorakhpur was heading toward the capital Kathmandu from the resort town of Pokhara when it drove off the highway in Aaina Pahara in the Tanahun district. At least 29 passengers have been rescued from the bus with the number plate UP 53 FT 7623.

“The bus was heading to Gorakhpur from Pokhara via Kathmandu. At least 14 people were confirmed dead in the accident,” the report said.

Information Officer at the District Police Office, Tanahu, Mohan Bahadur Khan said 29 people have been sent to the hospital so far. The condition of those rescued passengers has not been disclosed yet.

A team of 45 Armed Police Force personnel led by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Madhav Paudel from the Armed Police Force Nepal Disaster Management Training School has already reached the accident site and is carrying out the rescue operation, MyRepublic.com reported.

“About 35 APF personnel from no 23 Battalion, Bhanu, Tanahun, are also involved in the rescue operation,” the report said. According to DSP Dipak Kumar Raya, spokesperson of the District Police Office, Tanahun, the bus fell into Marsyangdi at around 11.30 a.m. on Friday (August 23, 2024.)

Last month, two buses carrying 65 passengers were washed away by a landslide into the swollen Trishuli River in Nepal. The bodies from the two buses were washed away down the Trishuli River as far as 100 km

Extensive search operations, including the deployment of a 12-member team from India’s National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), have not yet located the two missing buses and many passengers swept away by the landslide. The bodies of five Indian nationals have been recovered so far while two are still missing.

Nepal’s rivers are generally fast-flowing due to the mountainous terrain. Heavy monsoon downpours in the past few days have swollen the waterways and turned them murky brown, making it even more difficult to see the wreckage.

Monsoon season brings heavy rains to Nepal from June to September, often triggering landslides in the mountainous Himalayan country.

Nepali Army troops and others during a rescue operation after buses were swept away by a landslide, in Chitwan district, Nepal.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Nepali authorities say rescuers have recovered on July 13 the first body from two buses that were swept by a landslide and submerged into a raging river in a raging river a day earlier.

The buses, carrying more than 50 people, fell into the Trishuli river which was swollen by continuous rainfall over the past few days as heavy monsoon downpours turned their waters murky brown, making it even more difficult to see the wreckage.

The body was that of a man and was found some 50 kilometers (31 miles) from where the buses fell, said government administrator Khima Nanda Bhusal.

Weather conditions improved Saturday and rescuers were able to cover more ground in the hunt for the missing buses and passengers. Heavy equipment had cleared much of the landslides from the highway, making it easier for more searchers to reach the area.

Soldiers and police teams were using rubber rafts, divers and sensor equipments to try to locate the buses, which were pushed off the highway into the river by a landslide.

Three people were ejected from the buses and were being treated in a nearby hospital.

The buses were likely submerged and swept downstream in the Trishuli. Nepal’s rivers generally are fast-flowing due to the mountainous terrain. Heavy monsoon downpours in the past few days have swollen the waterways and turned their waters murky brown, making it even more difficult to see the wreckage.

The buses were on the key highway connecting Nepal’s capital to southern parts of the country when they were swept away Friday morning near Simaltal, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of Kathmandu.

A third bus was hit by another landslide Friday morning a short distance away on the same highway. Authorities said the driver was killed but it was not clear if there were any other casualties.

Monsoon season brings heavy rains to Nepal from June to September, often triggering landslides in the mountainous Himalayan country.

The government has imposed a ban on passenger buses travelling at night in the areas where weather warnings are posted, according to the Home Ministry.

New Delhi:

At least six Indians were among more than 60 people believed to be missing in Nepal after two buses were pushed into a river due to a landslide triggered by heavy rain on Friday.

The two buses, carrying 65 passengers, went missing in the Trishuli River at Simaltal area along the Narayanghat-Mugling road in Chitwan district, around 100 kilometres from the capital Kathmandu.

The accident took place around 3.30 am, an official said.

While 24 people were onboard the Kathmandu-bound Angel bus, 41 other passengers were travelling on Ganpati Deluxe, which was going to Gaur from the Nepal capital.

“We are not sure of the total number because the buses could have picked up others on the road,” Chitwan district official Khimananda Bhusal told AFP.

“The river has swollen and no one else has been found yet,” he said.

Three passengers on the Ganpati Deluxe bus reportedly escaped after jumping out of the vehicle.

Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ expressed grief over the accident and issued directives for immediate search and rescue operations.

Landslides and floods have reportedly killed more than 90 people in Nepal since mid-June.