Five Killed, Including Four Students, as School Bus Crashes in Nepal

KATHMANDU: At least five people, including four school students, were killed and 14 others sustained injuries after a school bus met with a catastrophic accident in Nepal’s central resort city of Pokhara on Monday. The vehicle, transporting young learners and staff members, veered off the road under circumstances currently under intense investigation by local law enforcement authorities.

According to Birendra Paswan, spokesperson for the District Police Office in Kaski, the vehicle lost control along a precarious stretch of road before plunging down a slope. Emergency response units, accompanied by local residents, rushed to the scene to carry out rescue operations and pull trapped victims from the wreckage. Police officials confirmed that the injured, several of whom remain in critical condition, were immediately transferred to nearby medical facilities in Pokhara for intensive treatment.

Road traffic accidents remain a persistent and tragic hazard across mountainous Nepal, where rugged topography, poorly maintained transit infrastructure, and aging commercial fleets frequently compromise vehicular safety. Critics and transportation watchdogs have repeatedly called on national regulators to enforce stringent mechanical inspections and mandatory safety protocols, particularly for commercial buses and school transport vehicles navigating treacherous provincial terrains.

Local authorities in Kaski district have initiated a formal inquiry to ascertain the exact cause of the crash, examining mechanical failure, potential overcrowding, and driver error. Further forensic evaluations and witness statements are being gathered as administrative officials coordinate emergency aid and support services for the bereaved families and injured victims.