Four people died when a passenger bus hit an auto-rickshaw at Birendra Bazar along the East-West Highway in Dhanusha on Saturday night.

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Ganesh Bahadur Bam, the bus, travelling to Dhalkebar from Biratnagar, collided with the auto-rickshaw.

The deceased have been identified as 40-year-old Ramesh Magar, his 32-year-old wife Nisha Magar, Thula Magar, and the auto-rickshaw driver, 40-year-old Dambar Rai, all residents of ward 4 of Ganeshman Charnath Municipality.

Thula Magar and Nisha Magar died on the spot, while Ramesh Magar and the driver succumbed to their injuries during treatment at Janakpur Neuro Hospital.

The couple’s children, 14-year-old Sheetal Magar and 9-year-old Roshan Magar, were seriously injured and are receiving treatment at the same hospital.

Police have taken the bus driver, Lakhiram Danuwar Tharu, into custody. The bodies are being sent to Janakpur Provincial Hospital for post-mortem.