KATHMANDU:- The death toll in the jeep accident in Rolpa has reached 20. According to Police Inspector Sunil Thapa of the District Police Office, Rolpa, 20 bodies were recovered during search and rescue operations at the site.

One injured person, 32-year-old Samir Kami from Sishne Rural Municipality–5 in East Rukum, is receiving treatment at the Basic Jaljala Hospital in Thawang.

The jeep (Lu 1 Ja 4167) travelling from East Rukum to Jaljala in Thawang Rural Municipality fell about 800 meters off a cliff at Salyap in Ward No. 1 of Thawang this afternoon, Inspector Thapa said.

A rescue team led by Rolpa Police Chief Birendra Bishwakarma reached the site immediately after the accident and is engaged in search and rescue operations. The police said difficult terrain, rain, and nighttime conditions have made the operation challenging.

All passengers in the jeep were pilgrims heading to a fair at Jaljala on the occasion of Baisakh Purnima. The identities of the deceased have not yet been confirmed.