DHADING: A man trapped inside the wreckage of a passenger bus for nearly five hours was rescued alive following a deadly road accident in Dhading District on Sunday night.

Krishna Raj Manandhar of Imadol, Lalitpur, was pulled out alive after emergency crews cut through the mangled remains of the bus (Ga 2 Kha 1421), which had plunged off the road at Benighat Rorang Rural Municipality–5.

The bus, operated by Machhapuchhre Tours and Travels, was heading to Kathmandu from Pokhara when the accident occurred.

According to Superintendent of Police Samit Khadka of the District Police Office Dhading, Manandhar had been trapped inside the severely damaged vehicle after the crash.

“Passengers were screaming, asking to be saved. We did not have equipment that could immediately lift or cut the bus. We had to console him for a long time. Later, with the help of a generator powered machine, we cut the silencer and the rear portion near the tyre to bring him out,” SP Khadka said.

He added that difficult terrain and the lack of adequate rescue tools delayed efforts. Manandhar has been referred to Kathmandu for treatment and his condition is reported to be stable.

Police said 17 people died at the scene, while another succumbed during treatment, taking the death toll to 18. At least 26 injured passengers are receiving care at various hospitals.

The bodies of the deceased have been kept at Dhading Hospital and Gajuri Health Center for post mortem examinations. Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash.