DAILEKH: Nineteen people were injured when a jeep en route from Surkhet to Jumla met with an accident in Dailekh district on Thursday, according to the District Police Office.

The vehicle, bearing registration number Karnali Province 02-001 Ja 0046, crashed near Tallo Dungeshwar in Dullu Municipality-1, police said.

Dailekh Police Chief Ganesh Bahadur Baral informed that out of the 19 passengers onboard, 12 sustained minor injuries while five were seriously injured and have been referred to Surkhet for further treatment.

The accident occurred when the vehicle rolled backwards while trying to pick up more passengers on an uphill section of the road and fell about 10 meters down into a roadside ditch.

Authorities said an investigation into the incident is ongoing.