GORKHA: A tragic road accident in Nepal’s Gandaki province claimed the lives of seven Indian pilgrims on Saturday night after their vehicle veered off a mountain road and plunged into a 200-foot-deep gorge. The victims, who were returning from a pilgrimage to the revered Manakamana Temple, were travelling in an electric microbus when the driver lost control near the Ambukhaireni area of the Tanhun district.
Local authorities have identified the deceased as Muthu Kumar, Anamalik, Meenakshi, Shivagami, Vijayal, Meena, and Tamilarasi, all of whom were Indian nationals aged between 53 and 60. Seven other passengers sustained serious injuries and were rushed to the Chitwan Medical College in Bharatpur for emergency treatment. While the bus driver miraculously survived the crash, his assistant remains among the injured currently under medical supervision.
Rescue operations, led by the Gorkha District Traffic Police, continued late into the night despite the challenging terrain and low visibility. Preliminary investigations suggest that the rugged geography and narrow road conditions may have contributed to the fatal slip. This incident follows a similarly devastating accident in the Dhading district on February 23, where 19 people lost their lives when a tourist bus fell into a ravine, highlighting a recurring pattern of road safety failures in the Himalayan nation.
The high frequency of such tragedies in Nepal is often attributed to a combination of treacherous mountain topography, poorly maintained infrastructure, and unpredictable weather patterns. A World Bank study indicates that economic losses from road accidents in Nepal have tripled since 2007, now accounting for approximately 1.5% of the country’s Gross National Product. The lack of safety barriers and the reliance on aging vehicles in high-altitude zones continue to pose a severe risk to tourists and locals alike, with over 70% of victims being vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and motorcyclists.
