Seven people, including a pregnant woman and two of her family members, were killed in a road crash along the East–West Highway in Chitwan on Saturday morning.

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Rabindra Khanal of Chitwan District Police Office, the crash took place at around 10:15 am near Khahare Bridge in ward 4 of Rapti Municipality, when a passenger bus en route from Dhangadhi to Kakadbhitta collided with an electric microbus heading towards Narayanghat from Makawanpur.

Police identified the deceased as 27-year-old Renuka Kandel of Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City-5, her husband Saroj Pahadi, 35, and her mother-in-law Maiya Kumari Neupane Pahadi, 53. Also among the dead are 55-year-old Som Prasad Rupakheti of Hatiya in Makawanpur, 35-year-old Sita Chaudhary of Chandranigahapur Municipality-6 in Rautahat, and 31-year-old Raju Thing, the microbus driver from Hetauda-10.

One of the victims, believed to be a woman aged around 18 or 19, has yet to be identified.

All the deceased were travelling in the microbus. Police suspect the accident occurred when the microbus attempted to overtake and veered into the path of the oncoming bus. “It appears the microbus tried to avoid a water-filled pothole and lost control,” said Superintendent of Police Govinda Puri.

Police confirmed that 24 others were injured, with one in critical condition, five with moderate injuries, and the rest sustaining minor wounds. The injured are receiving treatment at Bharatpur-based hospitals, including Chitwan Medical College.

Jas Bahadur Thapa, a 69-year-old passenger travelling on the bus from Dhangadhi, said the microbus was swerving unusually before it struck the bus. “Our bus was on the proper side,” he said. “It looked like there was water ahead. The microbus suddenly curved like a snake and hit us.”