KATHMANDU: At least 27 Indian tourists were killed and 16 others injured when a bus in which they were travelling veered off a highway in Nepal and plunged into the Marsyangdi River on Friday.
The crash happened around noon in the central district of Tanahun, as the bus was traveling from the tourist city of Pokhara to the capital, Kathmandu.
Tanahun district official Janardan Gautam confirmed the death toll, stating, “Out of 43 passengers, 27 have died.” Rescuers faced challenging conditions as they attempted to retrieve passengers from the fast-flowing river.
The injured were airlifted by military helicopters to Kathmandu for medical treatment.
All passengers were Indian citizens who had stayed in Pokhara overnight. The bodies of 26 victims are currently at a local hospital and will be transported to Pokhara after all necessary procedures. One person died while being treated at Bharatpur hospital.
Authorities are focused on the rescue operation but will launch an investigation into the accident once the immediate concerns are addressed.
Road safety issues are a significant concern in Nepal, where nearly 2,400 people lost their lives on the roads in the 12 months to April.
This incident follows a similar tragedy last month, when two buses carrying 59 passengers were swept into a river by a landslide in the nearby district of Chitwan. So far, only 20 bodies have been recovered, and the search for the missing remains ongoing.
In January, another bus crash claimed 12 lives and injured 24 people when a bus heading to Kathmandu from Nepalgunj fell into a river. The annual monsoon season exacerbates road travel risks, with heavy rains triggering landslides and floods across the mountainous country.
Since the monsoon began in June, floods, landslides, and lightning strikes have resulted in over 170 deaths, according to the home ministry.
While monsoon rains are vital for replenishing water supplies, they also bring widespread destruction and are becoming increasingly erratic due to climate change.
