Kathmandu, Nepal: At least 14 passengers are confirmed dead in an electric vehicle (EV) accident in Makwanpur District of Central Nepal, Police confirmed on Thursday.
As per the District Police Office Makwanpur, searchers found three additional bodies from the accident site on Thursday afternoon.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Madhav Kafle, spokesperson for the District Police Office, said the deceased included five women and children and nine men.
“Of the deceased, 13 are from Sundarpur Tol in Chakraghatta Rural Municipality-4, Sarlahi, while the remaining victim was the vehicle’s driver, 30-year-old Ravi Shankar Kumar Mandal, from Kabilasi Rural Municipality-8, Sarlahi,” Kafle told ANI over the phone.
As per the official, those identified include Bikesh Yadav (26), Poonam Yadav (35), Diksha Yadav (7), Deepika Yadav (5),
Anu Kumari Yadav (10), Guddu Yadav (35/36), Gayatri Devi (30/32), Ramdular Yadav (25/26), Subodh Yadav (24/25) and Rohan Yadav (15).
The injured have been identified as Mukesh Yadav (33), Saksham Kumar Yadav (5), Sujan Yadav (3), Devendra Rai alias
Bechu (31), Devendra Rai (26) and Sudip Yadav (14 months).
Among the injured, Mukesh Yadav, Saksham Kumar Yadav and Devendra Rai have been discharged after receiving treatment, the Police said.
Three-year-old Sujan Yadav and 14-month-old Sudip Yadav have been referred to Mediciti Hospital in Kathmandu for further treatment, while 31-year-old Devendra Rai has been referred to Manakamana Hospital in Bharatpur.
The EV Hiace bearing registration number Madhes Province 03-001 Ja 0880 was travelling from Kathmandu to Sarlahi when it plunged approximately 500 meters off the road at around 5:45 AM on Thursday. The accident occurred at Chisapani Gadhi along the Bhimphedi–Kulekhani–Kathmandu road section.
Following the accident, the District Administration Office, Makwanpur, has formed a five-member committee to investigate the cause of the fatal electric vehicle accident in Bhimphedi that claimed 14 lives and left six others injured.
According to Chief District Officer (CDO) Basanta Adhikari, the committee, coordinated by the Assistant Chief District Officer, will begin its investigation on Thursday.
The committee comprises the Assistant Chief District Officer, the in-charge of the Traffic Police, an engineer from the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development and a legal officer from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law.
CDO Adhikari said the committee has been instructed to submit its investigation report within seven days.
Sharing preliminary details of the accident, Adhikari said the vehicle had left Kathmandu at around 2:00 am on Thursday, reached Deurali at approximately 5:15 AM and met with the accident at Chisapani Gadhi at around 5:45 AM.
He also noted that three major accidents, along with several minor ones, had occurred along the same road section over the past 13 months. Adhikari stressed the need for a comprehensive review of factors contributing to road accidents in the area to strengthen road safety measures.
He identified several issues requiring attention, including the practice of carrying passengers beyond vehicle capacity, the status of route permits, driver negligence, mobile phone use while driving, road infrastructure, traffic signage and passenger awareness. He said addressing these concerns was essential to reducing accident risks and improving road safety along the route.