DHADING: Krishna Raj Manandhar of Imadol, Lalitpur, who was trapped inside the wreckage of the bus (Ga 2 Kha 1421) that met with an accident in Dhading, was rescued alive after five hours.
The accident occurred last night in Benighat Rorang Rural Municipality–5 of Dhading District. The bus, operated by Machhapuchhre Tours and Travels, was en route to Kathmandu from Pokhara when it crashed.
According to Superintendent of Police Samit Khadka of the District Police Office, Manandhar had been trapped inside the severely damaged bus after it plunged off the road. Rescue personnel managed to pull him out alive by cutting through parts of the bus and he has been referred to Kathmandu for treatment.
“Passengers were screaming, asking to be saved. We did not have equipment that could immediately lift or cut the bus. We had to console him for a long time. Later, with the help of a generator-powered machine, we cut the silencer and the rear portion near the tyre to bring him out,” SP Khadka said.
He added that the difficult terrain and lack of adequate rescue equipment made timely rescue efforts challenging. Police said Manandhar’s condition appears to be stable.
The accident claimed the lives of 17 people at the scene, while one more died during treatment, taking the death toll to 18. A total of 26 injured passengers are undergoing treatment at various hospitals.
The bodies of the deceased have been kept at Dhading Hospital and Gajuri Health Center for post-mortem examination.
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