Gulmi road accident claims six lives

KATHMANDU: Six people were killed and three others injured when a pick-up truck plunged off the road in Kaligandaki Rural Municipality-2 of Gulmi district on Monday afternoon.

The accident occurred at Dama Khani at around 4 p.m. when the vehicle returning to Syangja from Hilesiddha of Gulmi fell about 500 meters down the road, according to Bed Bahadur Thapa, chairperson of Kaligandaki Rural Municipality of Gulmi.

“Five people died on the spot, while the sixth victim died while being taken to hospital,” Thapa added.

According to Thapa, the pick-up truck was returning from the pilgrimage site in Hilesidddha.

The deceased have been identified as 67-year-old driver Dilip Kumar Bagale and Nita Bagale of Waling Municipality-2 in Syangja; Shiva Parajuli of Waling-10; and Loknath Pandey, Sita Pandey and Kulananda Pandey of Sirkot in Kaligandaki Rural Municipality-1, Gulmi.

The three injured have been identified as Chhabilal Pandey, Gomata Pandey and Balkrishna Subedi.

The Pandeys belonged to the same family, Thapa added.

“The victims were pilgrims returning after visiting a religious site known as Hilesiddha, where a child ascetic resides,” he said.