In a heartbreaking incident, seven Indian devotees perished when their microbus hurtled into a gorge in Nepal’s Gorkha district late Saturday. The group had just visited the famous Manakamana Temple, a popular pilgrimage spot for Indians.
The electric vehicle lost control on a sharp bend in the Kantar region of Shahid Lakhan Rural Municipality, tumbling into a deep valley. Gorkha police spokesperson DSP Raj Kumar Shrestha said seven more pilgrims are injured and receiving care at Chitwan Medical College in Chitwan district.
Rescue teams worked through the night, battling difficult terrain to reach the wreckage. Local administrator Tulsi Bahadur Shrestha noted the bus was en route to Anbukhaireni in Tanahun from the temple, with over 12 people aboard.
The cause is under investigation, but preliminary reports point to the perils of navigating Nepal’s hilly terrain. This stretch of road has a grim history; in August 2024, another bus crash here killed 27 Indian pilgrims.
Nepal’s road safety crisis is worsening. Traffic police records indicate accidents surged 53% over the past decade, from nearly 5,000 to over 7,600 last year. The World Bank’s analysis reveals road crashes now drain 1.5% of the nation’s GDP—up threefold since 2007.
Disproportionately, the poor and vulnerable suffer most: over 70% of deaths involve pedestrians, cyclists, and two-wheeler riders. This latest disaster amplifies calls for stricter vehicle regulations, better road maintenance, and awareness campaigns targeting cross-border pilgrims.
Heartfelt condolences pour in for the victims’ families, as Nepal grapples with recurring tragedies on its pilgrimage routes.