51 Passengers Injured In Nepal Mishap On Way To India

Lucknow, Aug 24: Bodies of the driver and conductor of the bus which plunged into a river in Nepal were among the first batch of corpses being sent to India from Nepal Saturday.

The bodies of the driver identified as Murtaza and conductor Ramjeet who hailed from Uttar Pradesh were in the first batch of bodies that were dispatched Saturday for the Nepal-India border by road from Chitwan in Nepal, Uttar Pradesh Relief Commissioner, GS Naveen Kumar said.

Kumar said that 51 passengers from Maharashtra are being safely transported from Nepal to India in a travel bus. The passengers are being brought to Gorakhpur under the supervision of police escort and Additional District Magistrate.

"Arrangements for food and water have been made for all the passengers at the border. On arrival of 51 passengers at Maharajganj (in Uttar Pradesh), they will be given food and water and then sent to Gorakhpur. Maharajganj administration has arranged 6 hearse vans, 11 ambulances and one 42-seater at the border," Uttar Pradesh Relief Commissioner, GS Naveen Kumar, told ANI.

Bodies of passengers from Maharashtra will be airlifted from Nepal to Maharashtra after post-mortem.

Twenty seven Indians died as the bus they were travelling in plunged into Maharajganj river, some 110 kilometres from Kathmandu on August 23. The bodies will be transported by road via Sonauli border crossing of Bhairahawa, a Nepal official said.

Arrangements for food and drinks have been made for all passengers at the border. Maharajganj District Magistrate said that everyone will reach Maharajganj by 4 pm. After both the bodies reach Maharajganj, Murtaza's body will be sent to Gorakhpur and Ramjeet's body will be sent to Kushinagar with police escort.

After both bodies reach Maharajganj, Murtaza's body will be sent to Gorakhpur and Ramjeet's body will be sent to Kushinagar with police escort.

The Uttar Pradesh Relief Commissioner said that all the 16 injured passengers are currently being treated in Kathmandu Hospital, all will be brought back as soon as they become healthy.

The bodies of 25 passengers from Maharashtra will be airlifted from Nepal and sent to Maharashtra after post-mortem.

Ramesh Lekhak, Nepal Home Minister told ANI, "The injured ones are getting good treatment and care here at the hospital. Indian state minister also came here to take an update earlier this morning, those who met with accident are from her constituency from Maharastra. She also took updates and met the injured ones. I also went to meet the injured ones and they are receiving good treatment."

Talking about whether the patients will continue treatment in Nepal or India, Lekhak said, "We are in consultation with the doctors involved in the treatment and will be decided accordingly if the injured ones only go after completion of treatment or they will be taken to India for further treatment."

At least 27 Indians, all from Maharashtra, who were visiting Nepal, were killed and 16 others injured after the bus they were travelling in veered off the highway and fell into Marsyangdi River in the Aanboo Kaireni area in Tanahun district. The bus was on its way to Kathmandu from Pokhara when the mishap took place.

(ANI)