At least 12 people were injured, one of them seriously, when a passenger electric vehicle (EV) collided with an oncoming truck along the East-West Mahendra Highway at Banke jungle in Ishworpur Municipality-12, Sarlahi, on Saturday. The passenger EV, which was travelling eastwards from the western side, struck the truck coming from the opposite direction, leaving passengers and others aboard hurt in the crash. All of the injured were taken to Model Hospital in Lalbandi for treatment, where one seriously injured victim, identified as Ranjit Ram, was referred elsewhere for further care.
Head-On Collision in the Banke Jungle Section
The accident took place on Saturday on a stretch of the East-West Mahendra Highway that passes through the Banke jungle area of Ishworpur Municipality-12 in Sarlahi district. According to initial reports, the passenger EV was moving east from the west when it hit a truck travelling in the opposite direction.
The force of the collision left 12 people injured. Reports from the scene indicated that the injured were largely those travelling in the passenger EV, which was carrying people along one of the busiest sections of the highway through Sarlahi.
Key facts confirmed from the initial reports include:
- Location: Banke jungle, Ishworpur Municipality-12, Sarlahi, along the East-West Mahendra Highway
- Vehicles involved: A passenger EV and an oncoming truck
- Direction of travel: The EV was heading east from the west when it struck the oncoming truck
- Casualties: 12 people injured
- Treatment: The injured were sent to Model Hospital in Lalbandi
The Injured and Their Treatment
Following the collision, rescue and relief efforts focused on getting the wounded to medical care quickly. All 12 injured people were transported to Model Hospital in Lalbandi, the facility where they received initial treatment after the crash.
Among the injured, Ranjit Ram was found to have sustained serious injuries. Hospital authorities referred him for further treatment, given the severity of his condition. The condition of the remaining injured was not immediately detailed in the initial reports, and further updates on their health were awaited.
As is common in highway accidents of this nature, the referral of a seriously injured patient highlights the challenges of treating major trauma cases at smaller hospitals along the highway corridor, where patients with severe injuries often need to be moved to better-equipped facilities for advanced care.
Road Safety Concerns on the Mahendra Highway
The East-West Mahendra Highway is the central artery of Nepal's Terai plains, connecting the eastern and western halves of the country and carrying a constant flow of passenger vehicles, trucks and other traffic. Sections of the highway that pass through forested stretches, such as the Banke jungle area where Saturday's collision occurred, see frequent movement of both long-haul trucks and local passenger vehicles, making careful driving on these roads particularly important.
The collision between a passenger EV and an oncoming truck is the latest reminder of the risks faced by travellers on the country's highways. Accidents involving passenger vehicles and trucks along the Mahendra Highway remain a persistent concern for local communities and authorities alike, particularly where two-way traffic shares a single carriageway.
Saturday's crash also underscores the dangers inherent in head-on collisions, which tend to occur when a vehicle crosses into the path of oncoming traffic. In this case, the EV, travelling east from the west, struck the truck that was coming towards it, and the impact was enough to injure a dozen people in a single incident.
Growing Presence of EVs in Public Transport
Passenger EVs have become an increasingly common sight on Nepal's highways in recent years, ferrying commuters and travellers along major routes, including sections of the East-West Highway. Their growing role in public transport means that incidents involving EVs now affect significant numbers of passengers, as Saturday's collision in Sarlahi demonstrated.
For residents of Ishworpur Municipality and surrounding areas, the passenger EV is a vital mode of daily travel, linking villages and towns along the highway corridor. When such vehicles are involved in collisions with heavy vehicles like trucks, the consequences for passengers can be severe, as reflected in the number of injured in this crash.
Details Still Emerging
Further details about the exact circumstances that led the passenger EV to strike the oncoming truck, the extent of damage to both vehicles, and the full condition of the injured were not immediately available. Authorities are expected to release more information as the investigation into the crash proceeds and as hospitals provide updates on the condition of those receiving treatment.
The incident was reported by Nepal Press, Nagarik News and Gorkhapatra Online. Further updates will follow as more information on the injured and the cause of the collision becomes available.
