An SUV accident in Sindhuli district has resulted in three fatalities and four injuries.
The vehicle fell into the Sunkoshi River early Sunday morning, with three passengers still missing, according to police reports.
The incident occurred around 2:30 am in Nagthan, Fikkal Rural Municipality 6.
The SUV, registered as Ko 1 Ja 2976, plunged approximately 200 meters off the Mid-Hill Highway.
The three deceased women were pronounced dead at the scene, and their identities have not yet been confirmed.
The injured passengers were first taken to Janasewa Health Centre in Ghurmi, Udayapur, and later transferred to Sindhuli District Hospital for additional treatment.
The injured individuals include the driver, 29 year old Ashish Bista from Okhaldhunga; 38 year old Samjhana Rai and her 12 year old daughter, Siwani Rai, from Diktel Municipality 3 in Khotang; and 13 year-old Ankit BK from Diktel Municipality 1 in Khotang.
According to the driver, three passengers remain unaccounted for following the accident. The SUV was traveling from Kathmandu to Khotang when it went off the road.
Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force are actively searching for the missing individuals and conducting rescue operations.
A police team led by Inspector Bishnu Prasad Paudel from the Khurkot Area Police Office, along with an Armed Police Force team led by Assistant Sub Inspector Narendra Gurung, has reached the scene.
Divers from the Khurkot Disaster Management Base are also participating in the search.
The cause of the accident is still under investigation, and authorities are continuing their search and rescue efforts as more details emerge.