Death Toll Mounts To 27 As 11 More Succumb; Victims Were Pilgrims From Maharashtra’s Jalgaon
- Home
- Maharashtra
- Nepal Bus Crash: Death Toll Mounts To 27 As 11 More Succumb; Victims Were Pilgrims From Maharashtra’s Jalgaon
The deceased, all pilgrims and residents of Jalgaon district in Maharashtra, were heading towards Kathmandu from Pokhara when the bus they were travelling in, veered off the highway and fell into the fast-flowing Marsyangdi river in central Nepal on Friday morning.
Nepal Army personnel conduct rescue operation after an Indian tourist bus with 43 passengers coming from Pokhara to Kathmandu fell into the Marsyangdi River. (PTI Photo)
Nepal Bus Crash: The death toll in the tragic Nepal bus crash surged to 27 as 11 more victims succumbed to their injuries on Friday evening. The deceased, all pilgrims and residents of Jalgaon district in Maharashtra, were heading towards Kathmandu from Pokhara when the bus they were travelling in, veered off the highway and fell into the fast-flowing Marsyangdi river in central Nepal on Friday morning.
According to officials, the tragedy occurred at Anbookhaireni area in Chitawan district of Nepal when the bus from Gorakhpur carrying 43 passengers, including the driver and two helpers, was heading towards Kathmandu from Pokhara.
A senior official said 16 people died on the spot, while 11 others succumbed to their injuries during treatment, taking the death toll to 27.
“16 who sustained injuries have been airlifted to Kathmandu and admitted at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital,” Deputy Spokesperson of Armed Police Force (APF) Shailendra Thapa told news agency PTI.
As per Nepalese media reports, the passengers part of a group of 104 Indian pilgrims who arrived in Nepal from Maharashtra in three buses two days ago for a 10-day tour of the Himalayan nation.
An official release said the deceased belong to Varangaon, Daryapur, Talvel and Bhusaval areas in Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district.
Maha requests IAF plane to bring back survivors, victims
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government has written to the Centre, requesting for a special Indian Air Force (IAF) to bring back the injured as well as the mortal remains of the deceased, officials said.
In a letter to the Union government, Lahu Mali, director, Disaster Management, Maharashtra, said the bodies and injured persons would be taken to Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh on August 24 evening, but as it is not possible to transport them back to Maharashtra by a commercial airliner, an IAF plane be arranged.
The state government will bear the expenses of the flight from Gorakhpur to Nashik, the letter said.
In a post on X, Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis condoled the deaths and said efforts are underway to bring back the survivors and bodies of the deceased
“The (Jalgaon) district collector is in touch with the Maharajganj collector in Uttar Pradesh to bring back the victims and survivors,” Fadnavis said.
Maharashtra Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Anil Patil said the state government was in touch with the relief commissioner of Uttar Pradesh and the Indian embassy in Kathmandu.
Raksha Khadse heading to Kathmandu
Senior NCP (SP) leader and former Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse said this group of pilgrims had travelled to Ayodhya four days ago.
Speaking to PTI, Khadse, who hails from Jalgaon district, said he visited the families of the victims and survivors after learning about the tragedy.
Union minister Raksha Khadse, his daughter-in-law, will travel to Kathmandu as she had received permission from the PMO to oversee the return of the victims and survivors, he added.
Earlier, Maharashtra government identified 16 persons from Jalgaon as “reported deceased”.
Ramjeet alias Munna, Sarla Rane (42), Bharti Jawade (62), Tulshiram Tawade (62), Sarla Tawade (62), Sandeep Sarode (45), Pallavi Sarode (43), Anup Sarode (22), Ganesh Bharambe (40), Nilima Dhande (57), Pankaj Bhangade (45), Pari Bharambe (8 years) , Anita Patil, Vijaya Jhawade (50), Rohini Jhawade (51) and Prakash Kodi reportedly died in the accident, it said.
(With PTI inputs)
Images are for reference only.Images and contents gathered automatic from google or 3rd party sources.All rights on the images and contents are with their original owners.
Comments are closed.