Four people were killed and two others sustained serious injuries after a jeep caught fire upon touching a sagging electric wire in Taplejung on Monday morning.

The jeep which was carrying pilgrims to the Pathibhara temple, met with the accident at Sewaro Chowk in the Pathibhara area, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police Ravi Rawal of the District Police Office, Taplejung. The vehicle came in contact with an electric wire hanging from a utility pole, which caused it to catch fire.

Two men and two women died on the spot. Two others, a mother and her 10-year-old son, were seriously injured and were taken to the District Hospital. The mother’s condition is critical, and efforts are underway to airlift her for further treatment, said Rawal.

The jeep had departed from the district headquarters, Phungling, at around 5am. According to locals, the bodies of the deceased were charred beyond recognition, and their identities are yet to be confirmed.