Six people were killed and six others injured when a jeep plunged about 300 metres off the road in ward 3 of Kummayak Rural Municipality in Panchthar on Saturday morning.

According to Koshi Province Police Chief Deputy Inspector General Ishwar Karki, three men and three women lost their lives in the crash. Their identities are yet to be confirmed. The bodies have been taken to Panchthar District Hospital for post-mortem.

Six injured passengers were rescued and rushed for treatment. One is undergoing treatment at Phidim Hospital, while the others were referred to the BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences in Dharan.

The jeep was travelling from Sawaa in Taplejung towards Dharan when it veered off the road near the Katike cliff and fell into the gorge. Most of the passengers were residents of Taplejung.

Police said the vehicle was carrying 12 people, but only 11 were initially found. Another body was later recovered. Karki said an investigation is underway to determine whether anyone else had boarded the vehicle midway.

The cause of the accident remains unknown, and police said there was no rainfall at the time of the incident.