17 killed as Pilgrim jeep crashes in Rolpa

Dang — A jeep carrying pilgrims to the famous religious site Jaljala in Rolpa met with an accident on Thursday afternoon at the border of Thabang and Uwa.

According to police, the jeep was traveling from Rukumkot, the headquarters of Rukum East, toward Jaljala in Rolpa, carrying 16 pilgrims and a driver. It crashed on a hill section along the border of Thabang Rural Municipality wards 1 and 4, killing all 17 people on board.

Police said the accident occurred due to slippery road conditions caused by continuous rainfall, as confirmed by Rolpa District Police Office DSP Birendra Bishwakarma.

The jeep plunged about 800 meters down the slope toward Uwa.

Although police teams and health workers from Thabang rushed to the site, no one could be rescued alive.

Authorities also stated that heavy rainfall across Rolpa, including the accident site, has made rescue operations and information gathering extremely difficult.