Nepal bus tragedy: Passengers from Jalgaon, efforts on to bring back victims, says Fadnavis

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said the passengers onboard the bus that fell 150 m into a river in central Nepal were from Jalgaon district in the state as per preliminary information, and efforts are on to bring them back.

In a post on X, Fadnavis condoled the deaths of 14 passengers and said the state government has communicated with the Indian embassy in Nepal. "The passengers are from Jalgaon. The district collector is in touch with the Maharajganj collector in Uttar Pradesh to bring back the victims and survivors," he said.

At least 14 people were killed and 16 injured after an Indian tourist bus veered off a highway and fell 150 m into the Marsyangdi river in central Nepal, authorities said.

The bus from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh was heading towards Nepal's capital Kathmandu from the resort town of Pokhara when it drove off the highway in Aaina Pahara in the Tanahun district. There were 43 people, including the driver and co-driver, in the bus.

Maharashtra relief and rehabilitation minister Anil Patil said the state government is in touch with the relief commissioner of Uttar Pradesh and the Indian embassy in Kathmandu to bring back the victims and survivors of the accident.

Talking to PTI, Patil said, "It is reported that most passengers are from Jalgaon district. We are trying to confirm. We are in touch with the relief commissioner of Uttar Pradesh and the Indian embassy in Nepal and have told them that the district collector will ensure the return of the victims and survivors," he said.

Senior NCP (SP) leader Eknath Khadse said the passengers were part of a group of 80 people from Varangaon in Jalgaon who had travelled to Ayodhya four days ago. Speaking to PTI, Khadse, who hails from the district, said he visited the families of the victims and survivors.

He said his daughter-in-law, Union minister Raksha Khadse, will be travelling to Kathmandu as she has received permission from the PMO to oversee the return of the victims and survivors. Khadse said the toll in the accident may rise to 30 as per information he received from authorities in Nepal.

In a press statement, Uttar Pradesh relief commissioner G.S. Naveen Kumar said, "As per media reports and further confirmed from the MEA Nepal Division, today at about 11.30 am, a bus with registration number - UP 53 FD 7623 carrying approx 41 passengers from Maharashtra, including the driver and one assistant, fell around 150 metres into river Marshyandi in Ambukhereni region in the Tanahu District of Nepal.”

The statement added, "The UP government has sent SDM Maharajganj to the incident site. The MEA is coordinating the search and rescue operations with local authorities."

As per news portal MyRepublica, the passengers were part of a group of 104 Indian pilgrims who arrived in Nepal from Maharashtra in three buses two days ago for a 10-day tour.