Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Pokhara Metropolitan City (PMC) has formed a five-member panel to investigate the school bus accident in Pokhara-28 on Friday morning that killed five people, including four students.
The committee, formed under the leadership of PMC’s Senior Education Officer Badrinath Subedi, has been tasked with investigating the cause of the accident and establishing the facts surrounding the incident.
The other members are mechanical engineer Saroj Chalise, Education Committee member Dol Raj Pandey, Municipal Police Inspector Purushottam Thapa and Assistant Sub-Inspector of Traffic Police Amrit Bhattarai.
The committee has been given five days to submit its report, recommending measures to improve the safety of school vehicles, ensure students’ safe transportation and prevent similar accidents in the future, according to Pokhara Mayor Dhanraj Acharya.
The accident occurred at around 6:30 am when a bus carrying students of Kalika Boarding School met with an accident at Okhlebhir in Pokhara Metropolitan City-28 while returning from Majhthana.
According to a notice issued by the Western Regional Hospital under the Pokhara Academy of Health Sciences, four of the five deceased have been identified as Mamata Tiwari, 15; Asim Kandel, 13; Baburam Tiwari, 65; and Subecchha Tiwari, 15. The identity of the fifth victim, also a 15-year-old, is yet to be established.
The hospital said five of the 17 people brought to the facility were dead on arrival. The remaining 12 are undergoing treatment. Asmi Kandel, 16, is receiving treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU).
The injured include Sonia Tiwari, 13; Sneha Khatri, 14; Ankit Parajuli, 13; Smriti Khatri, 15; Supriya Acharya, 14; Merina Tiwari, 15; and Aakriti Budhathoki, 14.
Arjun Shahi, 31; Yaman Magar, 16; and Tul Bahadur Gurung, 57, are also receiving treatment at the hospital.
