Three women died and three people are missing after a Tata Sumo SUV veered off the Mid-Hill Highway in Sindhuli and plunged into the Sunkoshi River. Four others, including the driver, were injured in the early morning accident on Saturday.
The SUV, en route from Kathmandu to Khotang, fell approximately 200 metres down an embankment into the river at Nagthan, Fikkal Rural Municipality-6, Sindhuli. The incident occurred around 2:30 AM on Kartik 1 (BS).
Police recovered the bodies of three women from the scene, though their identities have not yet been confirmed. Among the four injured, the driver, 29-year-old Ashish Bist of Okhaldhunga, is unconscious. Samjhana Rai, 38, of Diktel Municipality-3, Khotang, is in serious condition. Her 12-year-old daughter, Siwani Rai, and 13-year-old Ankit Bik of Diktel Municipality-1, are conscious and able to speak.
The injured are currently receiving treatment at Janaseva Health Centre in Ghurmi, Udayapur.
According to Bijay Shrestha, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) at the District Police Office Sindhuli, a search and rescue operation is underway for the three missing individuals. A team led by a police inspector from Khurkot Area Police Office has been deployed to assist in the search.
Raju Baral, Vice-Chairperson of Fikkal Rural Municipality, reported that the SUV was partially submerged in the Sunkoshi River. He added that local residents are assisting the police in the search and rescue efforts.
The cause of the accident remains unknown, and the District Police Office Sindhuli is conducting further investigations into the incident.
