7 Indian pilgrims killed in Nepal's Gandaki after bus falls into 500-feet-deep ravine

The pilgrims were on their way back from the revered Manakamana Temple when the bus veered off the road and fell in the gorge.

Published on: Mar 15, 2026, 14:57:02 IST

Edited by Sana Fazili

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A bus carrying Indian pilgrims in Nepal's Gandaki province on Saturday met with an accident and plunged down a slope. Seven people, all of them Indian natioanls, were killed and several others were injured in the accident after the bus veered off the road, police said.

Nepalese people climb the hill after looking at the wreckage of a bus that slipped off a mountain road and rolled down a slope at Shahid Lakhan village, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of the capital Kathmandu, Nepal, Sunday, March 15, 2026. (AP)

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A microbus carrying pilgrims was returning from Manakamana Temple when it plunged off the road in Gorkha District, PTI reported, quoting police. The deceased included two women and five men, Suraj Aryal, chief of the District Traffic Police Office, Gorkha district, said.

The deceased have been identified as Muthu Kumar (58), Anamalik (58), Meenakshi (59), Sivagami (53), Vijayal (57), Meena (58) and Tamilarsi (60).

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Seven other injured passengers have been rescued and are undergoing treatment at a hospital in Anbukhaireni, according to the Kathmandu Post.

The driver of the electric bus escaped unhurt, while his assistant was injured in the incident, according to the Himalayan Times.

How did the accident take place?

The accident took place on a road between the highway and the temple near Shahid Lakhan village, located about 120 kilometers west of the capital, Kathmandu.

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The pilgrims were on their way back from the revered Manakamana Temple, a popular Hindu temple where devotees believe a goddess will grant them their wish if they visit the shrine, the Associated Press reported.

The bus was going downhill when it slipped off a curve and rolled down the mountainside about 150 meters (500 feet) before landing in a ravine.

Just last month, at least 19 passengers of a bus were killed and dozens were injured after the vehicle drove off a mountain highway in Nepal on February 23. The bus was headed from the resort city of Pokhara to Kathmandu when it drove off the Prithvi highway after midnight.

The bus reportedly rolled down a mountain slope and landed on the banks of Trishuli river near Benighat, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) west of Kathmandu.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sana Fazili
Sana started her career in 2018 with News18 and later moved to BoomLive. In the meantime, she thought it was a good idea to share what she learnt, hence took up part-time teaching of journalism course at Jamia Millia Islamia, which she says, she thoroughly enjoyed-not sure if the feeling was mutual. For a year, she also tried her hands at communication roles, only to realise she was more comfortable with news. So, joined HT in September 2025. Not much of a talker, always up for chai and sarcasm. And pun always intended. Her tag line is 'I will figure out, but I need to panic first'Read More

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