BAITADI: An electric vehicle carrying passengers home for Dashain crashed in Baitadi’s Sunarya Rural Municipality-7 on Saturday, leaving ten people injured, four of them critically.

The EV, registered Su.Pra.02001 Ja 620, was traveling from Dhangadhi to Purchaudi when it veered off the Jayaprithvi Highway at Bhanjyang around 3 p.m. and fell about 25 meters down the road, police said.

The vehicle had 18 passengers on board, including the driver. Among the injured are Bhuwan Saud (15), Yashoda Saud (28), Kobit Panta (5), Pabitra Panta (28), Naresh Bohara (19), Basanti Awasthi (28), and Bikas Saud (17) from Purchaudi-5.

Others injured include Kamala Dhanuk (19) and Prakash Dhanuk (22) from Purchaudi-4, and Sabitri Dhami (22) from Purchaudi-3.

They were rescued by a police team and rushed to Dadeldhura Hospital for treatment. Police confirmed that the driver, identified as Mahesh Bohara of Purchaudi-5, fled the scene after the accident.

A search operation has been launched, and authorities have begun investigating the cause of the crash.