The death toll from the devastating bus accident in Tanahun district, Nepal, has risen to 41, according to Maharashtra Minister Girish Mahajan. Speaking at a press conference in Mumbai on Saturday, Mahajan confirmed the casualties and provided updates on the ongoing relief efforts.
The accident occurred on Friday when a bus, primarily carrying Indian tourists from Maharashtra, plunged 150 feet into a gorge of the Marsyangdi River in the Ambukhereni area. The bus was traveling from the popular tourist destination of Pokhara to Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu.
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Mahajan reported that the Maharashtra government has been in continuous contact with both the Nepal administration and the Nepal Embassy in Delhi to facilitate relief operations. “We’ve been in touch with the Embassy in Delhi, and the Nepal Army has transported 12 individuals to the hospital,” Mahajan stated, as quoted by Republic.
Maharashtra State Disaster Management Authority
The Maharashtra State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) Director, Lahu Mali, revealed that the bodies of the victims and the injured will cross into India from Maharajganj district at the Uttar Pradesh-Nepal border on Saturday afternoon. They will then be transported by road to Gorakhpur Airport, with arrangements being made for their onward journey to Nashik Airport and then by road to Jalgaon. Due to the large number of bodies and injured persons, the Maharashtra government has requested a special flight from the Indian Air Force (IAF) to handle the repatriation. The IAF expect to arrange a flight from Gorakhpur to Nashik, with the state government covering the expenses.
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had earlier confirmed the fatalities and injuries involving Indian devotees. Major rescue and relief operations carry out by local police, district authorities, and the Nepal Army.
To assist in the situation, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Raksha Khadse, flew to Kathmandu on Saturday under the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Khadse, accompanied by an MLA from Jalgaon, will oversee the repatriation process and visit the injured.
Injured Indian Passengers
Currently, 16 injured Indian passengers are receiving treatment at the Teaching Hospital in Maharajganj, with special care provided by doctors from the Indian Embassy. Additionally, three individuals with minor injuries are staying at the Gorkha Niwas Guest House, coordinated by the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu.
This tragic incident marks the second major calamity involving people from Jalgaon abroad in the past three months. In June, four medical students from Jalgaon, along with one from Thane, drowned in Russia’s Volkhov River while attempting to rescue a struggling female student.
Maharashtra Ministers Girish Mahajan and Anil Patil actively involve in coordinating the efforts to bring the survivors and decease back to India.
