School bus accident update: Mother and son die

By Phadindra Adhikari, Lekhnath, July 29: One more has died when a school bus met with an accident in Pokhara at 9 AM on Monday. 

When the school bus of LP Devkota Memorial English Boarding School of Pardi, Birauta, Pokhara, got into an accident, 33-year-old Aarati BK died at 9:45 AM. She died immediately after reaching Gandaki Medical Hospital. Her around five-year-old son Prince BK also breathed his last in the course of treatment at Gandaki Medical College at 11:45 AM. The rest of the 28 are undergoing treatment at Gandaki Medical College, Gandaki Hospital, and Manipal Teaching Hospital (MTH) after the rescue.

The bus with a registration number (Ga 1 Ka 6319) heading towards Birauta from Ramdi got into an accident at the roundabout of Furshekhola of Pokhara Metropolitan City-21 and veered off some 60 meters down the road. 27 students including the bus driver, co-driver, and a guardian were onboard the bus.

55 police officials under the command of Superintendent of Police Mohan Kumar Thapa, District Police Office, Kaski, officials have been deployed for the rescue operation. 

The nine-year-old Anamol BK, five-year-old Roshan Baral, 14-year-old Dipsan Karki, six-year-old Yona Gurung, 13-year-old Dina Gurung, 15-year-old Prakriti Gurung, six-year-old Prince Rana, seven-year-old Chija BK, nine-year-old Praveesh Karki, 12-year-old Bisika Poudel, 11-year-old Bishwas Poudel, 12-year-old Simran BK, and 11-year-old Vivash Khatri of Kristi, Pokhara-21 are undergoing treatment at the Gandaki Medical College. 

Likewise, three are receiving treatment at the Manipal Teaching Hospital (MTH). Eight-year-old Nishan Sunar of Pokhara-21, five-year-old Sagar Thapa and 55-year-old bus driver Tek Bahadur Bhujel are undergoing treatment at MTH. The condition of Bhujel is critical. 

The remaining 12 injured are receiving treatment at the West Regional Hospital. Ananya Poudel of Pokhara-21, three-year-old Siman Magar, three-year-old Newjan Magar, seven-year-old Rijan Magar, 12-year-old Ram Krishna Nepali, two-year-old Ankit Khatri, 14-year-old Sita Devi BK, seven-year-old Ashmit BK, 30-year-old Sumitra Sunar, two-year-old Nirdosh Sunar, and 11-year-old Nischal Sunar are receiving treatment at the West regional Hospital. 

14-year-old Sita Devi BK is from another school, Chhorepatan Secondary School. 30-year-old guardian Sumitra Sunar and 30-year-old teacher Sapana Aale are also receiving treatment at West Regional Hospital.

While mentioning that the accident occurred at the roundabout of the tuning road SP Thapa, said that it is estimated that the accident might have happened when the bus got out of control. 

Thapa, who is at the rescue operation, said, "It seems that the driver lost control at the steep roundabout road and the bus veered off. It looks like negligence and substance abuse played a part."