CM Yogi takes cognizance of Nepal bus accident, issues instructions for relief operations

Lucknow : In response to a tragic bus accident in Nepal’s Tanahun district, where an Indian tourist bus traveling from Pokhara to Kathmandu plunged into a river on Friday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has swiftly directed the Relief Commissioner’s office to initiate relief efforts.

The devastating accident claimed the lives of 27 passengers, all from Maharashtra, while 16 others are currently receiving treatment in a Kathmandu hospital. Rescue teams are still searching for one missing person.

Following CM Yogi’s instructions, the Relief Commissioner dispatched a team, including SHO Sanauli, Maharajganj’s SDM, and CO Nautanwa, to the accident site. The Uttar Pradesh government has also established contact with the Maharashtra government to coordinate the relief operations. The bodies of the deceased are being transported by road to Gorakhpur Airport, from where they will be flown to Maharashtra.

Relief Commissioner G.S. Naveen informed that around 1 p.m., they received information about a bus carrying Indian tourists that had fallen into a river in Nepal’s Tanahun district. In response, immediate assistance was requested from the Nepal government, and senior Indian police officers stationed in Nepal were contacted.

Taking prompt action, CM Yogi directed the Relief Commissioner’s office to initiate relief operations. The Relief Commissioner said that, following the Chief Minister’s instructions, SDM N.P. Maurya of Nautanwa tehsil in Maharajganj, CO Jai Prakash Tripathi, and Sanauli SHO Ankit Singh were dispatched to the site. Additionally, ADM Pankaj Verma was tasked with coordinating the efforts.

The Relief Commissioner’s office also reached out to the Maharashtra government to inform them of the incident. Senior Maharashtra officials subsequently appealed for assistance, leading the Uttar Pradesh Relief Commissioner’s office to take charge of the operation. The Relief Commissioner noted that, at the request of Maharashtra’s officials, the Uttar Pradesh Relief Commissioner’s Office has been designated as the nodal agency for overseeing the entire operation.

Relief Commissioner G.S. Naveen further mentioned that the bus was carrying a total of 44 people, including 42 passengers, a driver, and a conductor. The bus plunged approximately 500 feet off the highway into a river near Tanahun district.

The Nepal administration swiftly launched a rescue operation upon learning of the accident and subsequently informed the Uttar Pradesh Relief Commissioner’s office. According to the Relief Commissioner, 27 people lost their lives in the accident, while 16 others are currently receiving treatment at a hospital in Kathmandu. One person remains missing, and rescue teams are continuing their search.

The Nepal authorities have mentioned that the bodies will be handed over after post-mortem examinations on Saturday at around 2 p.m. Following this, all 27 bodies will be transported by road to Gorakhpur Airport, where they will be flown to Maharashtra. The injured passengers will be brought back to India by road after completing their treatment.