Biratnagar-bound Subha Shree Deluxe bus (Na 4 Kha 5448) collided head-on with Metro Deluxe (Na 5 Kha 4841) en route to Kathmandu from Ilam along the East West Highway at around 1:45 this morning.

The deceased have been identified as Roshan Bhattarai, Prabin Acharya, Sujata Kafle, Milan Adhikari, Prijaj Dahal, Rakshya Shrestha, Isha Karki, all from Ilam district, and Shanta Luintel of Itahari. Another female passenger identified as Astha, whose surname has not been established yet, from Barbota, Ilam, also died in the accident, said DSP Dipak Thapa.

Police said that the deceased Russian woman has been identified as Daria Mojkova.

Thirty others have been injured in the accident. They have been receiving treatment at Bharatpur Hospital.

DSP Thapa said that initial investigation had shown that the accident took place due to the negligence of Shubha Shree Deluxe driver, who after a spat with the bus owner accelerated the bus and refused to slow down even after the passengers urged him to do so.