Six Killed After Passenger Vehicle Derails Off Mountain Road In Gulmi, Nepal, Wreckage Found Deep Below

Gulmi, Nepal— Six people were killed Monday after a passenger vehicle derailed off a mountain road in Gulmi, tumbling down a steep slope and landing in a forested gorge that rescue teams struggled to reach. The jeep was overloaded.

The accident happened around 11:30 a.m. on the Tamghas-Ridi road in western Nepal. The vehicle, a Mahindra Bolero jeep carrying at least 14 people, was climbing a sharp bend when the driver lost control. Eyewitnesses said a tire burst, then the jeep scraped the hillside before flipping off the edge. It fell about 150 meters.

Police confirmed six dead at the scene, including two women and a child. At least eight others were injured, three critically with head injuries. A survivor who jumped before the fall said, "The jeep was swaying. People shouted to stop. Then it went over."

Rescue was by hand. Nepal Police and locals used ropes to descend. The wreck was mangled, its roof crushed against rocks. Bags, shoes and vegetables were scattered. One officer said, "We carried the injured on bamboo stretchers for an hour to reach the road."

The road is notorious. It is narrow, unpaved, with no barriers on most bends. Recent rain left it slick. Overloading is routine because public transport is scarce. Drivers often race to make extra trips. Locals said this jeep was carrying double its capacity.

The vehicle was 10 years old. Its fitness certificate had expired last month, according to transport records. The driver, who died in the crash, had been driving the route for five years. Alcohol test could not be done.

Relatives gathered at Gulmi District Hospital. Some wept outside the emergency ward. Doctors said they need more blood and orthopedic support. Two critically injured were referred to Palpa for surgery.

Road crashes are a daily toll in Nepal's hills. Poor roads, old vehicles and weak enforcement combine. The province announces crackdowns after each fatal crash, but checks fade.

Tonight the wreck remains in the gorge as police guard it and families prepare funerals in nearby villages.