Ramechhap Bus Accident: Agreement Reached Between Administration and Victim Families

Ramechhap. Following a dispute after a passenger bus accident in the Tamakoshi River at Manthali Municipality-6 on Tuesday, an agreement has been reached between the local administration and the families of the victims at the District Administration Office, Ramechhap. With the agreement, the stalled post-mortem process is set to move forward.

The accident resulted in 12 deaths, while three people are still missing. Eight injured individuals are undergoing treatment at various hospitals. The post-mortem of the deceased could not take place earlier due to a lack of consensus between the victim's side and the administration regarding compensation, treatment, legal action, and search operations. 

Following the agreement, the administration stated that the process of performing post-mortems on the bodies at the hospital and handing them over to relatives will begin.

The meeting held at the District Administration Office included members of the District Security Committee, Nepal Araniko Yatayat Sewa Pvt. Ltd., representatives of political parties, local representatives, and family members of the victims.

Main Points of the Agreement 

The meeting resulted in an 8-point agreement regarding the accident. According to the first point, the District Security Committee, Nepal Araniko Yatayat Sewa Pvt. Ltd., political parties, local representatives, and district residents paid tribute to the passengers who lost their lives and expressed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. While wishing for the speedy recovery of the injured, Nepal Araniko Yatayat Sewa Pvt. Ltd. committed to making immediate necessary arrangements to ensure no lack of medical treatment.

According to the second point, Nepal Araniko Yatayat Sewa Pvt. Ltd. will arrange to immediately provide the compensation that the families of the deceased are entitled to under existing laws.

The third point mentions that while immediate legal compensation will be provided, further discussions regarding additional compensation will be held between the victims, local representatives, and Nepal Araniko Yatayat Sewa Pvt. Ltd., facilitated by the District Security Committee.

Per the fourth point, post-mortems will be conducted on the bodies currently at the hospital, and they will be handed over for cremation with the consent and facilitation of the relatives.

The fifth point states that strict legal action will be initiated against the driver involved in the accident according to prevailing laws.

According to the sixth point, the search for the missing passengers will continue. The relevant agencies will make arrangements to treat the missing passengers as deceased for the purpose of providing compensation according to the rules.

In the seventh point, it was agreed to request the concerned parties to provide additional benefits based on the victim's claim that the accident was caused by the driver's negligence.

According to the eighth point, the demands and applications received from the victims will be sent to the relevant transport service, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers for implementation and facilitation. Additionally, it was agreed to postpone current protest programs.

Further Decisions on Vehicle Operation 

Additional decisions regarding vehicle operation and safety measures were also made following the accident. It was decided that if vehicles are found operating in a way that recklessly endangers the lives and property of passengers, recommendations will be made to the relevant authorities to cancel the vehicle registration.

Decisions were made to arrange for the operation of local vehicles in each local level. It was clarified that transport entrepreneurs and committees must fulfill their responsibilities and duties regarding vehicle operations.

Relevant agencies will be instructed to ensure mandatory checks by police units at border points and other checkpoints for vehicles entering Ramechhap or operating within the district, maintaining records of passenger numbers and entry times.

Protests Postponed, Normalcy Expected Following the accident, the victim's families and local residents had been protesting, demanding justice and compensation. The post-mortems were halted, and transport movement was affected due to the lack of agreement.

With the agreement reached, it is expected that protest programs will be postponed and daily life will gradually return to normal. The administration stated that further investigation into the cause of the accident is ongoing.