Four residents of Kumakh Rural Municipality-4 in Salyan, Nepal, were killed and three others injured in a jeep accident in Kotkhai, Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh, India. They had gone to India for employment.
The deceased have been identified as Rajesh Bista (36), Dilli Shahi (48), Ekendra Shahi (37), and Laxmi Shahi (26), according to ward chairperson Shobilal Basnet. The injured are Hem Bahadur Shahi (26), Neba Bahadur Shahi (36), and Hemant Shahi (22), all from the same village.
The accident occurred around 9 a.m. on Sunday when a pickup jeep (HP 63–7897) plunged off a cliff while they were on their way to work, about an hour’s distance from their rented accommodation. Three of the victims were from the same family. Preliminary investigations suggest the driver lost control of the vehicle. Laxmi Shahi and Dilli Shahi both succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment. Two of the injured have since been discharged from Kotkhai Health Center.
Efforts are underway to repatriate the bodies to Nepal after postmortem examinations. Indian police have registered a case under Section 106 of the Indian Penal Code for “death due to negligence,” DSP Siddharth Sharma confirmed.
Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu issued a statement expressing grief over the incident, assuring that the state government would stand by the bereaved families and provide necessary assistance. Education Minister and local MP Rohit Thakur also expressed condolences and wished for the speedy recovery of the injured.
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