Kathmandu, Feb 5 : At least eight persons were killed after a bus carrying a wedding procession met with an accident in Baitadi district of far-western Nepal on Thursday evening, a senior police officer said.

â??The bus, which was returning with the wedding procession, crashed in Purchaudi Municipality of the district at around 8 pm on Thursday,â?? Deputy Superintendent of Police Deepak Kumar Rae told IANS.

He said as many as 45 people were injured, with 16 receiving treatment at local health posts, while others were referred to hospitals with better facilities.

â??The bride and groom remained safe as they were travelling in another vehicle,â?? Rae said.

According to the police, the exact cause of the accident could not be identified immediately.

Chief District Officer Krishna Thapa said nearly 60 people were travelling on the bus when the accident occurred on Thursday night.

He said a rescue operation was carried out involving the Nepal Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, and local residents.

With the rise in the number of vehicles plying on the roads and improved road connectivity across the country, Nepal has also been witnessing an increase in road accidents in recent years.

A decade ago, 4,999 road accidents were reported, according to the Traffic Police Office.

In the fiscal year 2024â??25, the country recorded 7,669 road accidents and 190 deaths, the office said.

Of the total accidents, 278 were classified as serious.

Apart from the enormous human toll, road safety has a major economic impact.

A World Bank study in Nepal showed that the economic cost of road traffic injuries has increased threefold since 2007 and is equivalent to 1.5 per cent of the gross national product.

Road crashes also have a devastating and disproportionate impact on the poor.

More than 70 per cent of all road fatality victims in Nepal are vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists, the World Bank said.

The loss of income and medical expenses from a crash can push families into deep poverty.

/IANS