IAF plane to bring back bodies of Nepal bus tragedy victims

An Indian Air Force plane will bring the bodies of the Maharashtra pilgrims killed in a bus accident in Nepal to Nashik on Saturday, officials have said.

Tragedy struck north Maharashtra's Jalgaon district on Friday as at least 27 pilgrims from the region died after the tourist bus they were travelling in veered off the highway and fell into the fast-flowing Marsyangdi river in central Nepal.

The victims were from Varangaon, Daryapur, Talvel and Bhusaval in Jalgaon district, 470 km from Mumbai, officials said.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah who assured all possible help, they added.

An Indian Air Force plane will transport the bodies to Nashik on Saturday, said a state government release late on Friday evening.

The incident occurred in the Anbookhaireni area in Chitawan district of Nepal when the bus from Gorakhpur carrying 43 passengers, including the driver and two helpers, was heading towards Kathmandu from Pokhara.

While 16 people died on the spot, 11 succumbed to their injuries during treatment, Deputy Spokesperson of Armed Police Force (APF) Shailendra Thapa told PTI in Kathmandu.

Sixteen people who sustained injuries have been airlifted to Kathmandu and admitted at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, he said.

The passengers were part of a group of 104 Indian pilgrims who arrived in Nepal from Maharashtra in three buses two days ago for a 10-day tour of the Himalayan nation, MyRepublica news portal reported.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis condoled the deaths in a message on X.

State Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Anil Patil said the state government was in touch with the relief commissioner of Uttar Pradesh and the Indian embassy in Kathmandu.

Senior Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar leader and former Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse said this group of pilgrims had travelled to Ayodhya four days ago.

Khadse, who hails from Jalgaon district, told PTI that he visited the families of the victims and survivors after learning about the tragedy.

Union minister Raksha Khadse, his daughter-in-law, will travel to Kathmandu as she had received permission from the PMO to oversee the return of the victims and survivors, he added.

The Maharashtra government identified 16 persons from Jalgaon as 'reported deceased'.

Ramjeet alias Munna, Sarla Rane (42), Bharti Jawade (62), Tulshiram Tawade (62), Sarla Tawade (62), Sandeep Sarode (45), Pallavi Sarode (43), Anup Sarode (22), Ganesh Bharambe (40), Nilima Dhande (57), Pankaj Bhangade (45), Pari Bharambe (8 years), Anita Patil, Vijaya Jhawade (50), Rohini Jhawade (51) and Prakash Kodi reportedly died in the accident, it said.