On Friday, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis confirmed that the passengers involved in the recent bus accident in central Nepal were from Jalgaon district. The incident occurred when a bus plunged 150 meters into the Marsyangdi River. Efforts are currently being made to repatriate the victims and survivors.
In a social media update, Fadnavis expressed condolences for the 14 lives lost in the accident. He noted that the state government is in contact with the Indian embassy in Nepal to coordinate the return of those affected. "The passengers are from Jalgaon. The district collector is working with the Maharajganj collector in Uttar Pradesh to facilitate the return of the victims and survivors," he stated.
The tragic accident involved a bus from Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, which was en route to Kathmandu from Pokhara. The vehicle veered off the road in the Aaina Pahara area of Tanahun district. The bus, numbered UP 53 FT 7623, was carrying 43 people, including the driver and co-driver.
Maharashtra's Relief and Rehabilitation Minister, Anil Patil, revealed that the state government is coordinating with the relief commissioner of Uttar Pradesh and the Indian embassy in Kathmandu. "We are confirming that most passengers are from Jalgaon. We are working with Uttar Pradesh's relief commissioner and the embassy to ensure the safe return of all affected individuals," Patil said.
Uttar Pradesh Relief Commissioner GS Naveen Kumar confirmed that the bus, with the registration number UP 53 FD 7623, fell into the Marsyangdi River around 11:30 a.m. local time. The bus, carrying approximately 41 passengers from Maharashtra, was involved in the incident in the Ambukhereni region of Tanahu District. He added that the Uttar Pradesh government has dispatched an SDM to the site and that the Ministry of External Affairs is coordinating the search and rescue operations with local authorities.
According to reports, the passengers were part of a group of 104 Indian pilgrims from Maharashtra who had arrived in Nepal two days prior for a 10-day tour.
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