Task Force report: Road design flaws caused Trishuli bus accident

Kathmandu, Aug 6: The task force assigned to investigate the bus accident at Simaltal in Bharatpur Metropolitan City-29, Chitwan, has submitted its report. Led by Joint Secretary Chhabi Rijal, the task force presented the findings to Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak on Tuesday.

The investigation determined that the accident, which involved two deluxe buses falling into the Trishuli River, was caused by the weakness of the recently constructed Simaltal-Bangesal-Dumregaon road.

The report highlighted issues such as poor road geography, excessive cross slope, and the lack of an engineering design for the road, which were exacerbated by the rainy season.

The report stated, "The cut and fill approach was not used during construction; instead, excess soil was thrown to the side, and debris flowed through the vermilion hole due to the lack of support walls."

The task force concluded that the combined effect of flood debris and the pressure check dam, along with the inadequacy of the gabion walls to stop the debris, pushed the buses into the Trishuli River.

The report also noted that the Bharatpur Road Division Office failed to address the potential flow of debris towards the road while cleaning the bridge. It mentioned that "culverts and catch pits are not cleaned regularly."

The task force found that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was not conducted during road construction and that the absence of an integrated information system related to road safety contributed to the accident. The report explained, "Due to the lack of an integrated information system, drivers did not anticipate road conditions, and security personnel did not deem it necessary to stop the buses."

The study concluded that the accident occurred because the principle of 'safety first' was not observed, particularly during heavy rain.

On July 14, the Ganapati bus with the registration plate Bagmati Province-03-001 Bha 2495 and the Angel Deluxe bus with the registration plate Bagmati Province-03-006 Bha 1516 fell into the Trishuli River and went missing. The current condition of both buses and their 40 passengers remains unknown, though the bodies of 25 people from the bus have been recovered.