Four of the seven people injured in a bus accident on the Surkhet–Jumla road section of the Karnali Highway are in critical condition, officials said.

The injured were rescued from Chaukohla in Kalikot and taken to the District Hospital in Manma, but were referred to Surkhet for further treatment. However, they could not be airlifted due to the unavailability of a helicopter, said Katak Mahat, information officer at the Health Service Office, Kalikot.

Among the critically injured are 20-year-old Prakash Shahi of Tilagufa Municipality-6 in Kalikot, 30-year-old Lal Bahadur Basnet of Birendranagar Municipality-1 in Surkhet, 25-year-old Ganga Pariyar of Hima Rural Municipality-1 in Jumla, and her husband, 28-year-old Rabin Pariyar. Mahat said two of them are experiencing severe bleeding.

The Pariyar couple’s five-year-old son, Suman, sustained minor injuries. Sixteen-year-old Abigail Pariyar of Hima Rural Municipality-2 in Jumla and driver’s assistant Prakash Shahi of Shubhakalika-2 in Kalikot also have minor injuries.

Chief District Officer Narayan Prasad Bhattarai said efforts are underway to arrange a helicopter, with discussions ongoing with Surkhet and Kathmandu authorities. Bad weather has stranded a helicopter in Badimalika, and uncertainty remains over who will cover the airlift costs.

The accident occurred on Friday morning when the bus, travelling from Jumla to Surkhet, skidded off the road near Chaukohla and plunged about 100 metres into the Tila river. Police said the vehicle was overspeeding. Other travellers and locals helped rescue the injured from the river and take them to the hospital.