Twenty persons were killed and 12 injured when a tipper fell into a gorge in Mustang's Loghyakar Damodarkund Rural Municipality, Syangboche, today.

 

According to police, the accident happened when a tipper heading to Korala from Jomsom carrying road construction workers fell off the road into a gorge 50 metres down at around 1:30pm. Fourteen men and six women working for the construction of the Jomsom-Korala road project died on the spot.

 

“They were heading to the construction site after having their brunch at Syangboche when the tragedy happened as the driver lost control of the vehicle on the unpaved road,” said Chief District Officer Shishir Poudel.

 

The deceased have been identified as Bal Kumar Gharti, 30, Suber Chaudhary, 35, Shanti Thapa, 43, Kamal Budha, 32, Gurudatta Thapa and Kabita Ghartimagar of Dang, and Sukaman Roka, 28, Ram Kumar Pun, 32, Sontu Gharti, 32, Mahesh Roka, 19, Jitmaya Gharti, 31, Sirjana Magar, 20, Raste Rokaya, 23, and Mausam Gharti, 36, of Rolpa.

 

Jivan Majhi, 20, of Sindhuli, Binti Gharti, 22, and Binita Gharti, 23, of Kailali, Kamansingh Roka, 35, of Kapilvastu, and Krishna Chhetry, 24, of Syangja, along with driver Sujan Ghalan, 23, of Dhading were also among the dead. While six bodies have been brought to Jomsom, the remaining bodies are lying at the accident site and will be brought to Jomsom tomorrow morning.

 

According to DSP Govind Puri, the injured have been taken to health facilities in Pokhara and Mustang for treatment.There were 32 persons on board the vehicle including the driver when the accident happened.