A devastating mountain road accident in Nepal has claimed at least 14 lives, including six members of the same family, after a passenger van carrying people home for a religious festival plunged down a steep mountainside.
The tragedy unfolded early Thursday, November 12, near the village of Bhimphedi in Nepal’s Makwanpur district, approximately 37 miles southwest of the capital, Kathmandu.
Initial reports indicated that 10 people had died and five others were injured. However, local authorities later confirmed that the death toll had climbed to 14, with six survivors receiving medical treatment.
The vehicle, an electric passenger van, was traveling from Kathmandu toward Sarlahi in southern Nepal when it veered off the winding Bhimphedi-Kulekhani road near Chisapani Gadhi shortly before 6 a.m.
The van tumbled hundreds of feet down the mountainside before coming to rest on the steep slope below. Early reports estimated that it traveled approximately 2,300 feet downhill, although subsequent accounts provided different measurements.
Emergency crews faced a difficult rescue operation as police officers, military personnel and members of Nepal’s Armed Police Force rushed to the remote crash site.
The rugged terrain complicated efforts to reach the wreckage and recover passengers. Authorities initially confirmed 10 fatalities before additional victims were discovered, bringing the reported death toll to 14.
Among those killed were six members of the same family, including young children, according to Nepalese news reports.
The victims included 35-year-old Punam Devi Yadav and her three daughters, Anukumari, 10, Diksha, 6, and Deepika, 5. Two other male relatives were also reported among the dead.
The family’s loss has added another heartbreaking dimension to an accident that occurred as travelers were making their way home for the upcoming Chhath festival.
Many of the passengers reportedly came from the same community and were relatives or neighbors traveling together for the holiday.
Authorities said six people survived the crash. Some were treated at Hetauda Hospital, while others required additional medical care.
Investigators have not determined what caused the vehicle to leave the road.
Local officials have established a five-member investigative committee tasked with examining the circumstances of the accident and recommending measures to prevent similar tragedies.
The crash highlights the dangers of travel through Nepal’s mountainous regions, where narrow roads, steep slopes and difficult terrain can turn a single driving error or mechanical failure into a catastrophe.
The country has experienced several deadly transportation accidents in recent years, including a February 2026 bus crash that killed 13 members of a wedding party and injured dozens of others.
As investigators work to determine what went wrong, families in the affected communities are mourning loved ones who were traveling home for what should have been a joyous celebration.