Three people, including the driver, were killed when a Bolero pickup truck carrying construction materials plunged about 600 metres off a road in Rolpa on Thursday morning, police said.

The accident occurred at around 8am at Kalapahar in Byangkhola, ward 2 of Madi Rural Municipality, along the Shahid Highway.

According to the District Police Office, Rolpa, the single-cab Bolero pickup was travelling from Dang to Bagmara in Rolpa carrying corrugated sheets, cement, plastic pipes and other construction materials when it crashed.

Police said the bodies were recovered and identified only after a lengthy rescue operation involving residents and security personnel.

The deceased have been identified as driver Bir Bahadur Chaudhary, aged around 25, of ward 7 of Ghorahi Sub-metropolitan City; Jiudhan Chaudhary, aged around 40, originally from Dangisharan Rural Municipality-7 and currently residing in ward 14 of Ghorahi; and his wife Kamala Chaudhary, aged around 38. All three died at the scene, according to the Area Police Office, Ghartigaun.

A rescue team from the Area Police Office, Ghartigaun, including traffic police personnel, was dispatched immediately after the crash. A team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Panch Kumar Bakhu from the District Police Office, Rolpa, also reached the site.

Bakhu said the crash site lies in a steep and difficult terrain, making rescue and recovery efforts challenging. Police said the accident occurred on a narrow and risky section of the under-construction road, and reaching the site required traversing difficult terrain.

The crash site is about 30 kilometres west of Liwang, the district headquarters.

Police said the cause of the accident has yet to be determined, and an investigation is underway.