18 people killed in bus accident in Nepal's Dhading
Kathmandu (PTI): At least 18 people were killed when a passenger bus fell into the Trishuli river near Gajuri in the Dhading district of Nepal early morning on Monday.
Twenty-six passengers were injured in the accident that occurred when the bus coming towards Kathmandu from Pokhara plunged into the Trishuli river along the Prithvi Highway, about 90 km west of Kathmandu at 1.30 am, according to Bishnu Prasad Bhatta, spokesperson at the Armed Police Force.
Seventeen bodies have been recovered from the accident site and 28 injured passengers have been rescued from the bus, according to Bhatta. The injured passengers have been admitted to different hospitals for treatment. Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police personnel have been mobilised to carry out rescue work.
Among those killed in the accident, one male passenger is from New Zealand. One Japanese and a Dutch national, both women, were among those injured in the incident.
Although the exact reason of the accident could not yet been ascertained, the police said that over speeding might be the reason behind the accident.
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1,600 Indians travel to India on 5 Qatar Airways flights amid airspace curbs
Doha (PTI): Around 1,600 Indian nationals travelled to India on five Qatar Airways flights on Tuesday, even as the airline continues to operate limited services due to restrictions on Qatar's airspace, the Indian Embassy here said.
The flights included two services to Delhi and one each to Mumbai, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, the embassy said in a social media post.
"In total, about 1600 Indian nationals travelled on Qatar Airways flights today," it said.
The mission noted that Qatar's airspace remains largely closed and Qatar Airways is currently operating only limited, non-scheduled flights.
The airline has announced services to nine Indian destinations starting Wednesday, and passengers can make bookings through the Qatar Airways website, mobile application or authorised travel agents.
The embassy said it continues to facilitate temporary Saudi transit visas for stranded Indian nationals wishing to travel to India via Saudi Arabia by crossing the Salwa land border.
The mission will remain open on all days in the coming week to provide consular services, including issuance of passports, while its control room and helplines through phone, email and WhatsApp will continue to function on a 24/7 basis.
It urged the Indian community to follow instructions issued by Qatari authorities and exercise responsibility in sharing information to help maintain public safety and community stability.
The embassy and Indian community organisations have also collaborated to support members of the Indian fishermen community in Qatar by providing dry rations to those in need.
Tensions in West Asia continue to escalate following the US-Israel strikes on Iran since February 28.
