Identities of all those who died in the Rolpa jeep accident have been identified.
According to Information Officer at the District Police Office, Rolpa, Police Inspector Sunil Thapa Nepali, the deceased have been identified as Gorkha Budhathoki (32), Til Bahadur Budhathoki (53), Yuba BC (28), Dibson BC (10), Srijana Budhathoki (24), Sudeep Budhathoki (13) and Om Kumari Budhathoki (40) of Sisne Rural Municipality-5 in Rukum East.
Similarly, other people died in the accident are Draupati GC (54), Tila GC (32), Jenis GC (7), Jenisa GC (12), Samyog GC (7), Alina GC (25), of Ghorahi Sub-Metropolitan City-16, Dhanmaya Bista of Ghorahi Sub-Metropolitan City-13, and Yam Bahadur GC of Lamjung.
Likewise, jeep driver Bed Bahadur BK (42), of Shantinagar Rural Municipality in Dang, currently living at Sisne-5 in Rukum, Mina Kami (60) and Laxmi Shah (60) of Sisne-5, Tek Prasad Basnet of Bhume Rural Municipality-5 in Rukum East and Rukmina Basnet (27) of Sisne-5.
The accident took place when the jeep (Lu 1 Ja 4167) heading towards Jaljala of Thabang Rural Municipality of Rolpa from Rukum East fell some 800 meters off the road on Thursday afternoon.
A total of 21 people including the driver were travelling in the jeep.
Of them, 20 people died on the spot. Samir Kami (32) of Sisne Rural Municipality-5 was injured in the incident. He has now returned home after receiving treatment at East Rukum District Hospital.
Preliminary investigation by police says that the jeep lost control due to the unpaved and slippery road, continuous rain, and carrying more passengers than its capacity.
All the deceased were pilgrims who were going to participate in the Barah Pooja to be held in Jaljala today on the occasion of Baisakh Poornima.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs has formed a high-level committee to investigate the road accident.
A four-member investigation committee has been formed under the coordination of Lumbini Province Police Office, Tulsipur Superintendent of Police, Yadav Dhakal.
The committee has been instructed to study the facts of the incident and submit a report within three days, according to the MoHA Peace, Security and Crime Control Division.
