Six people were killed and three injured when a Scorpio SUV plunged about 250 metres off the road in Dabaukhani, Kaligandaki Rural Municipality-2, in Gulmi district on Monday.

The accident occurred at around 4 pm as the vehicle was travelling from Sirkot in Syangja district towards Rakse in Gulmi along the Kaligandaki Corridor road.

The injured were identified as Chhabilal Pandey and Gomata Pandey, both from Kaligandaki Rural Municipality-1, Gulmi, and Balkrishna Subedi of Waling Municipality-10, Syangja.

Chhabilal Pandey was initially treated at Kaligandaki Community Hospital in Mirmi before being referred to Mission Hospital in Palpa for further treatment. His condition is reported to be critical. Gomata Pandey is receiving treatment at Mission Hospital, while Subedi has been referred to Manipal Teaching Hospital in Pokhara from Kaligandaki Community Hospital, Syangja. Both are reported to be in moderate condition.

Nita Bagale died while receiving treatment at Kaligandaki Community Hospital.

The other fatalities were identified as the SUV’s driver, 67-year-old Dilip Kumar Bagale, from Waling Municipality-2, Syangja; 60-year-old Shiva Parajuli, from Waling-10; Loknath Pandey, originally from Sirkot in Kaligandaki Rural Municipality-1, Gulmi, who had been living in Waling; Sita Pandey, from the same area; and Kulananda Pandey, also originally from Sirkot, who had been living in Khaireni, Butwal.

Rescue teams recovered the injured and the dead from the crash site and took them to various hospitals.

The cause of the accident has not yet been established. Rescue operations and an investigation are under way.