At least 18 people have died and more than two dozen others injured after a passenger bus travelling from Pokhara to Kathmandu plunged into the Trishuli River in Nepal’s Dhading district early on Monday morning. The accident occurred at around 1:15–1:30 am local time along the Prithvi Highway in the Benighat Rorang Rural Municipality area, a notoriously challenging section of road.
Rescue teams from the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force (APF), Nepal Police and local volunteers were deployed to the site to recover victims and search for survivors, with many of the injured rushed to hospitals in Kathmandu and nearby towns for treatment. Officials have indicated that overspeeding may be a factor, though a final determination of the cause is still pending as investigations continue.
Nighttime Tragedy on a Key Mountain Highway
The passenger bus reportedly carrying around 44 passengers was en route from Pokhara’s Tourist Bus Park to the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu when it veered off the highway and plunged nearly 300 metres down to the banks of the fast-flowing Trishuli River in Dhading district’s Bhainsigauda/Charaundi area.
Officials confirmed that 18 bodies were recovered from the scene, with some reports noting one of the deceased was the bus owner and that the driver remains missing. More than 25 injured passengers were pulled from the wreckage, many with serious injuries, and have been transported to hospitals for urgent medical care, including referrals to facilities in Kathmandu. Among the injured is a New Zealand national, while other foreign nationals are also reported to be among the victims, underscoring the international reach of the tragedy.
Bishnu Prasad Bhatta, spokesperson for the Armed Police Force, said rescue teams are working tirelessly in coordination to locate any remaining victims and retrieve bodies from the river. Bhatta also noted that the identities of the deceased and most of the injured are still being verified.
The Nepal Army, APF, and Nepal Police personnel have been engaged in recovery efforts, with specialised APF divers from the Disaster Management Unit deployed to assist in the challenging river recovery work. Local authorities say the darkness and rugged terrain a steep mountainside descending towards the river significantly hampered early rescue and recovery operations, complicating efforts to reach victims and coordinate extraction.
Factors at Play: Road Safety, Terrain, and Overspeeding
The Prithvi Highway, which connects Nepal’s two largest urban centres, Pokhara and Kathmandu, has long been considered treacherous, especially at night and during adverse weather conditions. Sharp bends, narrow shoulders and few guardrails make the route notoriously dangerous for heavy vehicles, including passenger buses.
While the precise cause of this accident remains under investigation, multiple officials and media reports have cited overspeeding as a possible contributing factor. In these rugged mountain regions, buses and heavy vehicles that fail to manage speed effectively particularly on curves or during overtaking manoeuvres can easily lose control, with devastating consequences.
Past incidents in the same region have also pointed to similar issues. For example, a bus accident in Dhading in 2017 was linked to both overspeeding and possible driver error, with survivors indicating reckless driving as a primary cause. Such repeated tragedies put a spotlight on systemic challenges in road safety standards, vehicle maintenance and driver training across Nepal’s mountainous highway network.
Road safety experts and community advocates have repeatedly called for stricter enforcement of speed limits, better regulation of night travel for heavy vehicles, and improved road infrastructure including safety barriers and proper lighting to prevent similar catastrophes. However, with ever-increasing traffic volumes and limited resources for road upgrades, progress has been slow and uneven.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The news of this devastating crash in Nepal once again reminds us that road travel especially in challenging mountainous regions carries immense risks when safety protocols are not rigorously enforced. Each life lost represents a family grieving and communities shattered, and while mountains and rivers shape the landscape, human choices and systemic safety gaps too often shape the outcome.
Nepal’s terrain makes travel difficult, but preventable factors like overspeeding, inadequate vehicle upkeep and overloaded buses should not continue to cost lives. Lessons from this tragedy must compel authorities, transport operators, and civil society to work together towards meaningful reforms from better driver training and stricter speed enforcement to infrastructural enhancements and public safety awareness campaigns.
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