Twenty people died and 12 others injured when a tipper carrying workers met with an accident at Syangboche in upper Mustang region on Friday.

Mustang Chief District Officer (CDO) Shishir Poudel said most of the injured are in critical condition and they have been airlifted to Pokhara-based Manipal Teaching Hospital for further treatment by helicopters. 

Police identified the deceased as Bal Kumar Gharti, Suber Chaudhary, Kabita Gharti Magar, Shanti Thapa, Gurudatta Thapa and Kamal Budha of Dang, Sukaman Roka, Mahesh Roka, Ramkumar Pun, Sontu Gharti, Srijana Magar, Jitmaya Gharti, Mausam Gharti and Rastra Roka of Rolpa, Sujan Ghalan (driver), of Dhading, Jeevan Majhi, of Sindhuli, Binti Roka and Binita Gharti, of Kailali, Kaman Singh Roka, of Kapilvastu and Krishna Chhetri, of Syangja. Two of the deceased are yet to be identified. 

According to Mustang District Police Chief, DSP Mahendra Khadka, the tipper (Ba 2 Ka 2219) skidded off the road and plunged near Ghiling at Syangboche on the Beni-Jomsom-Korala road along Karnali Corridor at around 2 pm. The truck was carrying workers returning to their work site after they had their meal. There were 32 people onboard the ill-fated truck. Police suspected that the accident might have occurred due to poor road condition. The truck fell some 50 meters down the road after losing control along Jomsom-Lomangthang road section, said police.

The incident site is 50 kilometres northeast from the district headquarters Jomsom.