GULMI: Six people have died and three others have been injured in a Scorpio vehicle accident in Dabaukhani, Arbeni, Kaligandaki Rural Municipality-2, Gulmi.
The deceased have been identified as driver Dilip Kumar Bagale, 67, of Waling Municipality-2, Syangja; Shiva Parajuli, 60, of Waling Municipality-10, Syangja; Loknath Pandey, 50, of Kaligandaki Rural Municipality-1, Sirkot, Gulmi; Sita Pandey and Kulananda Pandey of the same locality; and Nita Bagale of Waling Municipality-2, Syangja, according to Birendra Bir Bishwakarma, information officer and deputy superintendent of police at the District Police Office, Gulmi.
Five of the victims died at the scene, while one succumbed to injuries during treatment. Police said the ages of Sita Pandey, Kulananda Pandey and Nita Bagale were not immediately available. Nita Bagale died while receiving treatment at Kaligandaki Community Hospital in Mirmi, Syangja.
The injured have been identified as Chhabilal Pandey and Gomata Pandey, both of Kaligandaki Rural Municipality-1, Sirkot, Gulmi, and Balkrishna Subedi of Waling Municipality-1, Syangja, police said.
Among the injured, Chhabilal is in serious condition, while Gomata and Balkrishna are in moderate condition. Two of the injured are receiving treatment at Kaligandaki Community Hospital in Mirmi, while the third is being treated at Mission Hospital in Palpa.
The Scorpio (Ba 0220) was travelling from Waling, Syangja, to Rakse via Sirkot in Kaligandaki Rural Municipality-1, Gulmi, when the accident occurred at around 4 pm. According to the District Police Office, Gulmi, the vehicle veered off an inner road at Dabaukhani in Kaligandaki Rural Municipality-2 and plunged approximately 250 metres down a slope.
Following reports of the accident, a rescue operation was launched with the assistance of local residents and police teams from Purtighat Police Station, the Area Police Office in Ridi, and the District Police Office, Gulmi.
Police said further investigation into the cause of the accident is underway. The accident site is located approximately six kilometres south of Purtighat Police Station.