Nepal bus accident: 7 Indian pilgrims killed and several injured after bus falls into gorge

Police reported that the cause of the accident is still unclear. The electric microbus carrying Indian pilgrims met with an accident on a steep section of the road.

At least seven Indian pilgrims were killed in a micro-bus accident in Nepal’s Gorkha district on Saturday evening while returning from prayers at the Manakamana Temple, police said.

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Raj Kumar Shrestha, the vehicle plunged into a gorge in the Kantar area of Sahid Lakhan Rural Municipality.

“Seven pilgrims have been injured and have been sent to Chitwan Medical College in Bharatpur, Chitwan district, for treatment,” Shrestha said. Police also said that the rescue operation is still underway.

As per the local administration, the micro-bus was carrying over a dozen passengers. 

“The microbus was heading towards the Anbukhaireni area of Tanahun district, west of the Manakamana Temple, but it is not immediately clear where the passengers were heading after concluding their visit to the temple,” Tulasi Bahadur Shrestha, Chief District Officer of Gorkha, as per IANS.

Police reported that the cause of the accident is still unclear. The electric microbus carrying Indian pilgrims met with an accident on a steep section of the road.

In August 2024, another bus carrying Indian pilgrims had an accident in the Anbukhaireni area, claiming at least 27 lives.

Nepal has recently seen a rise in road accidents, alongside growing vehicle traffic.

A decade ago, the Nepal Traffic Police reported 4,999 road accidents. In the fiscal year 2024–25, official data showed 7,669 accidents and 190 fatalities. Of these, 278 were classified as serious.

Beyond the human cost, road accidents also impose significant economic burdens. A World Bank study in Nepal found that the economic cost of road traffic injuries has tripled since 2007, now accounting for 1.5% of the country’s gross national product.

Road crashes disproportionately affect the poor, with over 70% of fatalities involving vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists, according to the World Bank.