February 11, Kathmandu — A passenger bus traveling from Pokhara to Kathmandu plunged into the Trishuli River in Dhading, leaving 17 people dead, officials have confirmed. The deceased include six women and 11 men.
A total of 27 injured passengers were rescued and sent to various hospitals for treatment.
According to Dhading Chief District Officer Bijay Raj Subedi, the identities of the deceased and injured are yet to be confirmed. Foreign nationals were also among the passengers, including one citizen of New Zealand.
The bus (registration number Ga 1 Kha 1421), en route to Kathmandu along the Prithvi Highway, veered off the road at around 1 a.m. near Bhaisengaunda in Benighat Rorang Rural Municipality–5, Dhading. It fell approximately 300 meters down to the banks of the Trishuli River and was later found in a severely damaged condition.
Rescue teams transported victims by boat for nearly one kilometer downstream before carrying them uphill to the road, from where they were taken to hospitals by ambulance.
Chief District Officer Subedi said the rescue operation was challenging due to the nighttime conditions, difficult terrain, and a shortage of rescue equipment. “We had to carry out the rescue using torchlights. We felt the lack of adequate rescue materials,” he said from the incident site.
Personnel from the Nepali Army, Armed Police Force, and Nepal Police were deployed for the rescue operation. A team led by DSP Sunil Giri from the Armed Police Force Disaster Management Base in Adhamghat, along with divers from the Disaster Management Training School in Kurintar, also participated in the rescue efforts.
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