Three people were killed and 12 injured when a jeep carrying passengers from Patal Kateri, Pyuthan Municipality-5 met with an accident at local Perniagaan last night. The jeep bearing registration number plate Lu 1 Ja 3707 was heading towards Patal Kateri from Khaira, the Municipality's Ward number 1 at the time of the accident. It was carrying people who had gone to Khaira for observing the 'purnima mela', a religious fair there.
Pyuthan Municipality-5 Ward Chairperson Choodamani Thapa said that 52-year-old Maiya Gharti, 45-year-old Khuman Thapa and 43-year-old Junaki Thapa of Patal Kateri died on the spot in the mishap.
He said the injured are being treated at the District Hospital Bijuwar. Locals and a team of the Area Police Office Bijuwar rescued the injured ones and took them to hospital last night itself. The cause of the accident is not known yet and the jeep driver Binod KM is absconding.
Police said 17 people were traveling on the jeep.