27 Indians confirmed dead in Nepal pilgrim bus accident, autopsies conducted ahead of repatriation of bodies

At least 27 Indian pilgrims from Maharashtra, who went to Nepal for a 10-day tour, died while 16 others were injured after a passenger bus veered off the highway and plunged into a fast-flowing river in central Nepal on Aug 23.

The Indian-registered passenger bus plunged into the Marsyangdi River near Aaina Pahara, which was en route from the popular tourist city of Pokhara to the capital, Kathmandu.

The bus was reportedly carrying over 40 passengers when it plummeted into the river known for its strong currents.

A team of 45 Armed Police Force personnel were immediately rushed to the spot for rescue operations.

The joint effort of the Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, and the Nepal Army took seven hours to rescue the injured and pull dead passengers from the crash site, The Kathmandu Post newspaper reported.

Those onboard the bus from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh included the driver and two helpers. While 16 people died on the spot, 11 succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment, Deputy Spokesperson of Nepal's Armed Police Force (APF) Shailendra Thapa told PTI.

The reason for the accident is not yet known. The accident site lies on the national highway, some 90 km west of Kathmandu.

According to a report in The Kathmandu Post newspaper, the passengers were part of a group of 104 Indian pilgrims who arrived in Nepal from Maharashtra in three buses two days ago for a tour of the Himalayan nation.

The victims belong to Varangaon, Daryapur, Talvel and Bhusaval in Jalgaon district, 470 km from Mumbai, officials said.

Last month, over 50 passengers were swept away in a swollen river following a landslide that pushed two buses off the road in Nepal’s Trishuli River.