Two died and 17 people, including the driver, sustained injuries after a jeep met with an accident on a dirt road in Jimalin, Kumakh Rural Municipality-6, Salyan, on Saturday morning, police said.

The jeep en route to Khairabang Bhagwati, a religious site, from Dumkot had 19 people on board.

The injured who were receiving treatment at Janapriya Polyclinic in Bagchaur and the Salyan District Hospital have been taken to Nepalgunj for further treatment, according to Inspector Santosh Khanal, information officer at District Police Office, Salyan.

Of the 16 critically injured, 15 were taken to local hospital in an ambulance and one woman whose condition was extremely critical was airlifted by helicopter along with her child.

A 39-year-old man and a 14-year-old girl were killed in the accident, said Deputy Superintendent of Police Damodar KC of District Police Office Salyan.

“Upon investigation, we found that the vehicle had on board more people than its capacity,” KC said. “The vehicle was unable to ascend, before it lost its balance.”