In a tragic incident, at least 35 Nepali nationals were injured after the bus they were traveling in was hit by a speeding truck in Bihar's Samastipur district. The police said the incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday (August 25) as the bus, carrying Nepali nationals, was en route to Deoghar district in Jharkhand, where they were scheduled to offer a puja at a temple.
While no casualties were reported following the incident, police stated that 35 passengers sustained minor injuries, with all being discharged from a local hospital after initial first aid.
"Only two passengers who sustained serious injuries were sent to another hospital for better treatment. They were also released later," Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Samastipur-Sadar-1, Sanjay Kumar Pandey told the media.
"Immediately after receiving the information, officials from the local police station reached the spot, rescued the passengers from inside the damaged bus, and took them to a hospital," he added.
Meanwhile, it is pertinent to note that this accident comes shortly after another tragic incident in which 27 Indians lost their lives and 16 others were injured in a bus accident in Nepal's Tanahun area. Officials said the accident involved victims, mostly from Maharashtra's Jalgaon district, who were traveling as part of a pilgrimage group when their bus veered off the highway and plunged into the fast-flowing Marsyangdi River. The victims were traveling from Pokhara to Kathmandu when the tragedy occurred.
Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of each deceased in the mishap in Tanahun district, Nepal. While, the injured would be given Rs. 50,000, he added.
Significantly, in the aftermath of the tragedy, Nepali Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli had extended his condolences to the Indian government and the victims family. He said, "Deeply saddened by the tragic bus accident in Abu Khaireni, Tanahun, which claimed the lives of 27 Indian citizens travelling from Pokhara to Kathmandu. My heartfelt tributes to the victims and condolences to their families, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi."
(With inputs from PTI)
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