CHAUTARA: The death toll in the Sindhupalchowk bus accident has climbed to 15. Of the dead, the identity of 14 has been established.

A reserved bus (Ba 4 Kha 4468) transporting pilgrims back to Bhaktapur from Kalinchowk Temple skidded off the road and fell some 100 meters into a river at Six Kilo along the Dolakha Khadichaur-Jiri road in Sunkoshi Rural Municipality-7 in Sindhupalchowk district on Sunday morning, killing at least 15 passengers and injuring over 16.

Brake failure is blamed for the accident. Thirty two people including the bus driver were travelling on the ill-fated bus when the accident occurred, said the police.

The deceased have been identified as are Laxmi Shrestha, 42, of Bhimeshwor Municipality in Dolakha district and Ranjit Basnet, 10, of Shailungeshowri Rural Municipality, Mahesh Tamang, 24, of Umakunda Rural Municipality-4 in Ramechhap district and Juna Tamang, 42, of Sunapati-6, Ram Sharan Khatri, 35, of Bethanchowk in Kavrepalanchowk district and his spouse Maiya, 35.

Likewise, other dead are Ganga Maya Tamang, 55, of Lingsakhupakhar Rural Municipality-4 in Sindhupalchowk district, seven-year-old Sabina Tamang, Reshma Tamang, 30, 15 months old Roshani Tamang, Manju Tamang, 28, and Suk Bahadur Tamang, 28, all of Jugal Rural Municipality-7 and Fulmaya Tamang, 37, of Balephi Rural Municipality-5 and Chinu Basnet, 32, of Suryabinayak-8 in Bhaktapur district. The identity of another 24-year-old woman, who died at Kathmandu Medical College, Sinamangal, is yet to be ascertained.