At least 17 people died after a jeep fell nearly 700 metres into a gorge in Rolpa.
The vehicle, headed to the Baisakh Purnima festival, slipped on a muddy road during heavy rain.
Rescue operations are ongoing but hampered by poor weather; passenger count still unclear.
17 Killed As Jeep Plunges Into Gorge In Nepal’s Rolpa
Vehicle carrying festival-goers skids off muddy hill road amid rain; rescue hit by bad weather
Summary
At least 17 people were killed Thursday when a jeep skidded off a hilly road and plunged about 700 metres into a gorge in Nepal's Rolpa district, police said.
According to them, the car slipped on a muddy stretch in the rain and plummeted down the mountainside in the Jaljala district of Thawang rural municipality.
According to police inspector Sunil Thapa Nepali, information officer at the District Police Office, Rolpa, the private jeep was rented by residents who were going to the Baisakh Purnima festival on Friday in Jaljala.
The precise number of occupants in the car at the time of the collision is unknown, according to police, who also stated that the area's severe weather is impeding rescue efforts.
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