Tragic Microbus Accident Claims Lives of Indian Pilgrims in Nepal

Fatal Incident in Gorkha District

Kathmandu: A tragic accident involving a microbus in Nepal's Gorkha district resulted in the deaths of seven Indian pilgrims on Saturday evening. The group was returning from the Manakamana Temple when the vehicle veered off the road and fell into a gorge, according to local police.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Raj Kumar Shrestha from the District Police Office in Gorkha confirmed that the victims were pronounced dead at the scene after the microbus plunged into a steep area in the Kantar region of Sahid Lakhan Rural Municipality.

In addition to the fatalities, seven other pilgrims sustained injuries and were transported to Chitwan Medical College in Bharatpur for medical attention. The police indicated that rescue efforts were ongoing.

The microbus was reportedly carrying over a dozen passengers at the time of the incident. Tulasi Bahadur Shrestha, the Chief District Officer of Gorkha, mentioned that while the vehicle was en route to the Anbukhaireni area of Tanahun district, the exact destination of the passengers post-temple visit remains unclear.

Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the accident, although it occurred on a challenging stretch of road. This incident follows a previous accident in August 2024, where a bus carrying Indian pilgrims in the Anbukhaireni area resulted in the deaths of at least 27 individuals.

Nepal has seen a concerning rise in road accidents in recent years, coinciding with an increase in vehicular traffic. Official statistics reveal that a decade ago, the Nepal Traffic Police reported 4,999 road accidents, while the fiscal year 2024–25 recorded 7,669 accidents and 190 fatalities.

Among these incidents, 278 were categorized as serious. The economic implications of road safety are significant, with a World Bank study indicating that the financial burden of road traffic injuries in Nepal has tripled since 2007, now accounting for 1.5% of the nation's gross national product.

Moreover, road crashes disproportionately affect the impoverished, with over 70% of road fatality victims being vulnerable users such as pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists, as highlighted by the World Bank.