Bodies of 25 Indian Pilgrims Arrive in Jalgaon After Nepal Bus Tragedy

A devastating bus accident in Nepal has claimed the lives of 27 Indian pilgrims, including 25 from Maharashtra and two from Uttar Pradesh. The accident occurred on Friday when a bus carrying the pilgrims veered off the highway and plunged into the fast-flowing Marsyangdi River in the Tanahun district, located in central Nepal.

The deceased were part of a group of 104 pilgrims on a 10-day tour of Nepal. The accident happened at Abu Khaireni, approximately 90 kilometers west of Kathmandu, on the national highway connecting Pokhara and Kathmandu.

A special Indian Air Force (IAF) flight carrying the bodies of the 25 deceased landed at Jalgaon Airport on Saturday evening. The flight also transported Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Raksha Nikhil Khadse, and Sanjay Savkare, a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from Bhusawal constituency. They had arrived in Kathmandu earlier to oversee the return of the victims and survivors.

“The Minister met the injured at a hospital in Kathmandu and then went to Bharatpur by a domestic flight. The IAF flight with Khadse, Savkare, and 25 bodies departed from Bharatpur for India,” sources said.

Khadse shared an update on X ahead of the departure: “Will reach Jalgaon airport by 7 pm along with the mortal remains of the 25 persons from Jalgaon killed in a tragic bus accident in Nepal. Request all the bereaved families to cooperate and not let any inconvenience (happen).”

Meanwhile, the bodies of the bus driver and his assistant, as well as 51 others from the remaining group, were expected to reach Maharajganj in Uttar Pradesh by road later on Saturday evening. These individuals were then to be transported to Gorakhpur under police protection, with additional district magistrate supervision. The district administration had made arrangements for food and other necessities for all the passengers at the border.

The cause of the accident remains undetermined, though the road section where the incident occurred is known for its challenging conditions.

Earlier in the day, the post-mortem examinations of all 27 deceased were completed at Bharatpur Hospital in the Chitwan district of Bagmati province. The 16 injured were being treated at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu, with one individual reported to be in critical condition.

Union Minister Khadse, accompanied by Savkare and Nepal's Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, visited the hospital to meet the injured. Following the visit, Khadse expressed gratitude to the Nepalese government and security forces for their prompt and effective response.

“Thanked Hon'ble HM and Govt of Nepal for the prompt and timely assistance provided for the search and rescue operations as also for the treatment of the injured,” Khadse said in a post on X. She also praised the Indian Embassy in Nepal for its coordination with local authorities and support on the ground.

Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli expressed his condolences, calling the bus accident “tragic” in a post on X: “Deeply saddened by the tragic bus accident in Abu Khaireni, Tanahun, which claimed the lives of 27 Indian citizens travelling from Pokhara to Kathmandu. My heartfelt tributes to the victims and condolences to their families, including Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji.”

In response to the tragedy, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister National Relief Fund for the next of kin of each deceased, with Rs 50,000 to be provided to those injured.

The victims of the accident were from Varangaon, Daryapur, Talvel, and Bhusaval in Jalgaon district, located approximately 470 kilometers from Mumbai. The group had been traveling from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh and was en route to Kathmandu from Pokhara when the accident occurred.

The accident has left families in both India and Nepal in deep mourning as authorities continue to investigate the cause of this tragic event.

(With PTI Inputs)