Kathmandu: The toll from last week's deadly bus accident in Nepal rose to 14 including one Indian as rescue operations entered in its third day today. The passenger bus carrying more than 50 people had skidded off a narrow stretch in Jajarkot district's mountainous region and plunged into Bheri river in western Nepal on Thursday.
On day one, officials confirmed that five people were killed and around 45 remained missing. The bus had completely submerged into the water soon after it fell around 80 metres off the road.
Sakil Miya, 29, of Raxual, Bihar was among those who lost their lives as the death toll today climbed to 14 after officials retrieved bodies of nine more persons from the strong water currents of Bheri River, Himalayan Times said.
According to the Jajarkot District Police Office, more than 36 passengers are still estimated to be missing. Apart from an Indian, rest of the victims are said to be locals as efforts were on to trace those who are still unaccounted for.
Some of the bodies had crushed under the bus which made it difficult for the divers to recover. Local people with the help of Police, Army and Armed Police Force personnel are carrying out search and rescue operations. A team of deep divers have also been pressed into service.
Road accidents are on rise in Nepal as more than 62 people have died in five separate accidents in the last one month. Bad roads, driver's negligence, over speed and overloading were the main reasons behind these accidents, police said.
