Bus ferrying home migrant workers from India to Nepal meets with accident; 11 dead, 22 injured

A passenger bus with migrant workers who were returning from India crashed into a parked truck in southern Nepal, killing 11 people and injuring 22, officials said on Monday.

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The accident took place on Sunday in Banke district when the bus collided with a truck that was parked at the roadside. The bus was carrying nearly over 30 migrant workers who returned from India to their home district in Salyan via Nepalgunj, the District Police Office was quoted as saying by Myrepublica.

The bus hit the parked truck on the road killing 11 passengers, including the bus driver, and injuring 22, it said.

A team of Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, Traffic Police and Banke Salyani Samaj rescued the injured and brought them to Nepalgunj-based Bheri Hospital at around 2:00 am, the Himalayan Times reported.

Four of the injured are in critical condition, the Bheri Hospital was quoted as saying by the report.

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Hundreds of Nepalese, mostly migrant workers, are stranded along Nepal's border with India due to the COVID-19 induced lockdown.

The workers, mostly from western Nepal, were employed in various sectors across India and were trying to return home. As the Indian government imposed nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus, they have been left stranded along the border.

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In April, Nepal Prime Minister KP Oli and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi agreed to enhance cooperation to further intensify the fight against the coronavirus and underlined the need of taking care of the citizens left stranded in each other's country due to the lockdown to contain the spread of the pandemic.

Nepal has 1,572 COVID-19 cases and eight deaths.

India registered its highest single-day spike of COVID-19 cases on Sunday with 8,380 new infections reported in the last 24 hours, taking the country's tally to 1,82,143 while the death toll rose by 193 to reach 5,164, according to the Union Health Ministry.