KATHMANDU, April 21: At least 14 people were injured in a jeep accident in Hilihang Rural Municipality-7, Salleri, of Panchthar district under the Phidim-Taplejung road section of the Mechi Highway.

According to Sumit Kushwaha, information officer of the District Police Office, Panchthar, a Tata Sumo (Me 1 Ja 1947) met with an accident at 10:30 AM on Sunday while returning from the Pathibhara Temple.

Kushwaha said that 14 people, including 13 from the same family, and a driver were injured in the accident.

The injured are jeep driver Pravin Danuwar of Triyuga, Udayapur, Chandra Prasad Thapa of Taplejung Mikwakhola-2, Bandana Bhandari of Jhapa Mechinagar-6, her son Prasan Subedi and daughter Prasana Subedi, Kamala Rasaili and her daughter Tulsa Rasaili of Phungling-3, Taplejung .

Police said that they were immediately rescued and taken to Panchthar Hospital for treatment and nine of them were referred to District Hospital Jhapa for advanced treatment. The remaining five people are being treated at Panchthar District Hospital, according to the police.

The initial assumption of the police is that the jeep may have gone out of control, leading to the accident. The jeep fell down around 50 meters from the road.