Two women died after a tractor they were travelling on plunged into a pond in West Dohani, ward 8 of Kapilvastu Municipality, on Monday morning.

The victims, aged 22 and 45, were en route to work in nearby fields when the tractor slipped off a muddy road and overturned into the pond at around 11:30am, said ward chair Shiva Kumar Pandey.

Six people were on the tractor, including the driver. Four survived, but the driver fled the scene, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police Mohanmani Adhikari.

Both women were taken unconscious to the district hospital in Taulihawa, where they were pronounced dead at around 12:30pm.

Authorities said the road was slippery due to rain the previous night. Police are searching for the absconding driver.