Police have rescued a passenger found unconscious on a cliff after a passenger microbus fell around 400 metres from the Karnali Highway into the Karnali river in Dailekh district on Thursday.

The Force microbus (Karnali Province 02-001 Kha 10055), travelling from Birendranagar, Surkhet, to Raskot in Kalikot, plunged into the Karnali river from the Sangetada (Chisapani) area of ward 7 of Chamunda Bindrasaini Municipality in Dailekh.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Shrawan Kumar BK, chief of the District Police Office, Dailekh, said a passenger found unconscious on a cliff was rescued.

Senior Superintendent of Police Santosh Singh Rathaur, spokesperson for the Karnali Province Police Office, said the vehicle operated by Bulbule Transport Pvt. Ltd. left the Surkhet bus park at 8 am on Thursday carrying five passengers who boarded from the terminal.

He said more passengers may have boarded along the route.

“The vehicle is submerged in the river. We have also informed the Armed Police Force divers for rescue operations,” he said.

Police have been deployed from the District Police Office, Dailekh, and nearby units for search and rescue operations.

A team led by Provincial Police Chief DIG Jaya Raj Sapkota is also en route to the incident site.