KATHMANDU, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- At least 14 people were killed in a jeep accident at Bhimkithe area of Badigadh Rural Municipality in Nepal's western Baglung district on Tuesday morning, Police said.
"Other three passengers got seriously injured while one is missing as the jeep carrying 18 passengers plunged 100 meters down the road to Badigadh river at around 10:00 am (local time)," Nawaraj Bhatta, Superintendent of Police at District Police Office told Xinhua on Tuesday.
"There is no passenger available who can tell about the accident as most of them died and those injured are also unconscious."
Bhatta said the injured people were sent to capital Kathmandu for treatment.
Police said they don't know about the exact reason behind the accident but suspected mechanical failure. The ill-fated jeep was travelling to Baglung from neighbouring Gulmi district.
The accident took place in less than a week when at least 18 people died in another bus accident in south-western Arghakhanchi district on Nov. 27.
Nepal has seen a heavy rise in vehicle accidents in recent years. According to Traffic Police Office of Nepal, the Himalayan country witnessed a total of 8,918 vehicle accidents, killing 254 people in the last fiscal year 2018-2019 that ended in mid-July, a sharp rise from 6,381 accidents in the previous fiscal year.
During the first four months of the current fiscal year 2019-2020, Nepal has witnessed 4,171 accidents that killed 69 people, according to Traffic Police Statistics.
