MAKWANPUR: Ten people lost their lives and five others were injured after a passenger vehicle plunged nearly 500 metres down a slope at Chisapani Gadhi in Bhimphedi Rural Municipality-6, Makawanpur, on Thursday morning.

According to the police, the accident occurred at around 5:45 am when the vehicle, bearing registration number Madhes Province 03-001 Ja 0880, veered off the road while travelling from Kathmandu to Sarlahi.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Madhav Kafle, spokesperson for the Makawanpur District Police Office, confirmed that 15 people, including the driver, were travelling in the vehicle at the time of the accident.

The deceased include three women, five men and two girls. Five others, comprising three men and two boys, sustained injuries in the crash.

Police said rescue operations were carried out following the accident. However, the identities of those killed and injured, as well as further details about the incident, are yet to be confirmed.